


Reconnect

by Fayth_Delarosa



Series: Reylo Love [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Cannon compliant, Coruscant (Star Wars), Dathomir (Star Wars), F/M, Fix-It, Fix-It of Sorts, Force Bond (Star Wars), Force Ghost(s), Force Sensitivity, Force Training, Force Visions, Force trials, I WANT REYLO TO LIVE, Jedi, Jedi Temple (Star Wars), Kylo Ren Needs a Hug, Kylo Ren Redemption, Major Original Character(s), Minor Original Character(s), Movie: Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Original Character Death(s), Original Character(s), PLEASE SAVE THIS SHIP, Post-Canon Fix-It, Post-Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Redeemed Ben Solo, Redemption, Rey Needs A Hug, Rey Skywalker, Reylo - Freeform, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Star Wars References, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Spoilers, The Force Ships It, The force can sometimes be cruel, Tomb of Kujet, Trials, characters from the accompanying books will be pulled in, let me have this, mention of depression, staying cannon compliant is work, will add more tags will be added as the story goes on
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-21
Updated: 2020-06-28
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:27:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 14
Words: 34,963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21892135
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fayth_Delarosa/pseuds/Fayth_Delarosa
Summary: Existence was the only way to describe the state that Rey was in.She had lost so much. Friends. Family.And Ben.She struggled to keep a reason for continuing on.She was alone.Or was she? Because...no one ever is truly gone.This is a story of a journey to connect with new friends, forge a new journey.To reunite with old friends, and reaffirm her reason to continue.And, maybe, to reconnect with her other-half once more.
Relationships: Kylo Ren & Rey, Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey & Ben Solo, Rey & Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Series: Reylo Love [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1576996
Comments: 58
Kudos: 125
Collections: TROS Reylo Fix-it Fics, Things that make tros hurt a little less





	1. Existence

Tinkering, collecting, selling, and trading.

These are the things that a scavenger does.

This was a life Rey knew well. It gave her comfort; it gave her some measure of control within the swirling vortex of chaos that surrounded her. An abyss that threatened to consume her. 

This was the life that she led now, in Tatooine.

Rey quickly wiped at the sweat forming at her forehead before ducking back into her work. It was an obsolete PK-series worker droid. She wasn’t even sure how such a unit made its way to the planet, much less survive and remain fairly intact for as long as it did. Yet here it stood, frozen in time, while she tried to bring it back to functioning status. A sudden burst of hot and dry air passed by, kicking up sand which went to her eyes and she bit back a curse, feeling the sting of tears while she uselessly wiped at her eyes. After a few moments, she was able to regain her sight and saw that the open panel and exposed wires now had sand sprinkled onto them as well. Instinctively she closed her eyes and felt the pull of the force ready to respond before she stopped herself and instead opted to brush away at the specs of sand with her hands. It wouldn’t do her any good to use the force, it reminded her of bittersweet memories.

Of strong hands and body, of a voice low and passionate, soft full black hair and expressive brown eyes.

Of a once tortured soul set free.

And of a smile that had been so radiant that it caused her heat to both beat in joy but also tear a little more in pain and grief.

A haunting reminder that followed her wherever she went.

Ben.

Rey quickly shook her head, wanting to be rid of the memories and focused back on her task. The unit seemed like it would never be saved, but she didn’t care. It kept her from being idle, it kept the sad memories away. It was how she found some measure of calm in her life, if it could still even be called a life. She traveled around, offered to fix anything that required repairs. Sometimes, the inhabitants would offer compensation, but she would not take it. It did her no good anyway.

Rey glanced up and noticed the twin suns beginning to set. And she hated it. Because the setting of the suns would bring about the night; and the night would bring back the memories. 

Memories of pain and loss. Thoughts of what could have been.

These things plagued her mind at night, infiltrated her dreams and lulled her with scenes of happiness and home; hand in hand with that strong presence that she had come to know so well; of her and Ben being together. Illusions that she readily lost herself in which only resulted in such an intense feeling of loss and grief that she sometimes found it hard to breathe in the morning.

The sound of footsteps approaching pulled her away from those morose thoughts. To her right, a young woman was approaching, her red hair hastily made into a messy bun and her hands clutching at a worn coin sack. The girl stopped a few feet away from Rey and glanced briefly at the still unpowered unit. “Pa says that you can go home now,” she whispered.

Rey glanced back over at the setting suns, “There’s still about an hour until nightfall. I can just…”

“No,” the girl answered quickly, interrupting Rey’s admittedly feeble attempt to stay with a shake of her head, “Pa says it’s dangerous out there. He doesn’t want you to be caught by bandits or worse.”

“I can take care of myself,” Rey answered automatically.

The girl replied with a sad smile, her own sadness palpable, “That’s what ma said too.” She held out the coin bag towards Rey, “Here, some pay for the work you’ve done.”

“I don’t need the money, I’m fine with just helping.”

The girl’s hazel eyes regarded Rey with what she could only describe as empathy, “You still need food and water to survive. And for that, you need money. Please…” she quickly walked closer and pressed the coin bag onto Rey’s hands before stepping back, “take it. You’ve earned it.”

Rey had another refusal ready on her lips but decided against it and sighed in resignation, “Fine, thank you.” She quickly shuffled to her feet and began to walk away before she paused, her back to the girl when she asked, “Has it gotten any easier? Does the pain ever go away?”

The girl remained silent for a few moments before she took a deep breath and replied, “Pa says that time heals the wound, but the scars remain forever.”

Rey did not answer, instead choosing to walk over to the sand bike and ride off, without looking back.

* * *

Rey sat with her back against a fairly large sandstone, her knees bent and her arms around them, her head bowed down. The air had become chilly, and she welcomed the cold. She welcomed whatever distraction she could get. A few feet away stood her shelter, she refused to call it a home. It was a shabby and small hut, but it provided coverage from the sandstorms and that was enough for her. Beeping sounds emerged from the hut as BB-8 rolled over towards her, its beeping growing in volume as it reached her. She ignored it completely, choosing instead to keep her head down and focus on the chill creeping up her body. BB-8 continued its incessant beeping, the tone almost chastising. 

Rey still didn’t lift her head up but did reply, “If you have a problem with what I do, then you should’ve stayed with Poe.”

She heard BB-8 reply in low beeps, clearly affected by the harsh tone of her words, before moving its way back into the hut yet Rey remained in place. Part of her felt compelled to go back inside and apologize; after all, BB-8 was not the cause for her rather dour mood. But part of her wanted to remain still, reasoning that isolation is the only way to live. She could’ve almost laughed then, if she were even capable of doing that. What would Luke have said if he could see her now?

She felt a familiar pull against her and she steadfastly ignored it. It couldn’t be real, it was a phantom feeling. He was dead, and he had never even come to see her. No one had since her last encounter with Luke and Leah as force ghosts nearly a month ago.

She had truly never felt so alone.

And yet she embraced it. Loneliness was preferable over what she had to endure day by day. At least when she was alone on Jakku, she had reasons to hope for a better tomorrow, to hope that one day, her parents would come. It was only now that she had come to realize how much hurt could come from connecting with another.

Add to that the reality that was her life and it was overwhelming. She tried not to think too much on what could have been, but sometimes the thoughts would creep forward, unbidden. Maybe it would have been better to have died as a child under the unrelenting sun and Unkar Plutt rule. Or maybe, it would have been better if Ben had left her for dead…

No.

As much as she had come to resent her existence, she could never find it within herself to wish that the roles were switched. Although she desperately wanted Ben to be alive, she did not want him to suffer through what she has had to endure since that fateful day. 

He had already suffered more than enough.

But still, now she was left in the wake of Palpatine's attempt at dominating the galaxy, trying to pick up the metaphorical broken pieces of her life and put them back together. And now she was the one left to suffer from an unbearable sense of loss and a hollow ache in her chest.

She felt the pull once more and shook her head against it. She didn’t want to feel it. She didn’t want to  _ hope _ …

Another rush of cold air blew by, her body shivering from the rapid decline in temperature. Maybe if she stayed here, she could be granted a dreamless sleep.

Or maybe, the fates would finally be merciful and grant her more.


	2. Unwelcome Visitor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am still trying to flesh out this story, I have a vague idea of where I want to go but I want to also try and close out some things that I feel were left unanswered. I am going to be including some original characters to help push the story along and I hope it it doesn't throw anyone off or turn someone off from the story! 
> 
> The main focus is and still will remain on Rey and her journey as well as Ben.
> 
> And tying up those loose ends.

The incessant light bearing down against her closed eyes were the only indication that it was morning, as the desert provided no other sounds to distinguish morning from night. Rey opened one bleary eye, the flood of light overwhelming her sight for a few seconds until the film of sleep waned away to the image of endless sand and a bright blue sky. She blinked several times, opening the other eye as well in the process, and slowly came to the realization that she had in fact slept outside the entire night. Slowly, she moved up to a sitting position, her muscles slightly protesting with the movement, and she felt something slip off of her shoulders.

Rey looked down to see her flimsy blanket pool around her waist; clearly BB-8’s doing. She felt a slight twinge of remorse then but she stubbornly pushed it down; opting instead to force her body through the motions of her morning routine of using the ‘fresher and changing to a new set of clothes. Forcing herself, of course, because if it were not for her obligations of meeting with the family she currently was helping out she would much rather remain within the confines of her bed. 

Even eating had become a chore lately. Really, a lot of things became more of a chore for her. It was hard for her to derive any pleasure from her activities; especially when it would be accompanied by instant guilt in the knowledge that Ben was no longer alive to experience such joys. 

BB-8 remained quiet while she rummaged through her meager belongings and pulled out clean clothes to change into before heading into the ‘fresher.

Somehow, she knew today would be a long day.

* * *

As soon as she stepped back out onto the arid desert she felt it, a slight shift in the force and closed her eyes in exasperation; fully aware of who her visitor was. When her eyes opened, they were greeted by a familiar black X-wing Starfighter which began its descent; precariously close to her shelter. She debated on whether or not she could hole herself in the shelter and wait out his patience but the choice was taken away from her when the familiar figure jumped out and began their stride towards her. With a sigh, Rey sat down on one of the smoother pieces of sandstone that lined the shelter, awaiting her unwelcomed visitor.

Familiar orange was the first thing she noticed before his face came into view; his expression seemed worn down, possibly exhausted but with an underlying irritation.

Poe Dameron came to a stop a few feet away from Rey, his arms crossed over his chest and his eyes narrowed, “Rey, I’d say it’s good to see you but considering you’ve gone a month with no communication I’ll skip all the formalities. It’s time to come back. We need you back with the resistance while we try to work out this crazy political mess.”

“There is no war, Poe; you don’t need a Jedi. Besides, Jedi should not be involved in political affairs.”

“Look,” Poe began, exasperation bleeding into his tone, “I allowed you to come here, against Finn’s protests, mind you, so you can do whatever Jedi thing you had to do. It’s been a month and that’s long enough. The others are worried about you, come back home.”

Home? She could almost scoff at that word. She had no home. The only home that she knew was ripped away from her cruelly when Ben died in her arms. “You can tell them I’m fine.”

“No, you can tell them when we go back to Chandrila.”

Rey flinched at hearing the last word. Chandrila. It was his birthplace. She knew from some of the memories that she had seen of him through their force bond. Memories of a small boy who wanted nothing more than his parents love and affection. Of a boy that would hide away whenever his parents argued, planting his hands firmly against his ears and squeezing his eyes shut; unwilling to face the chaos that surrounded him. Of a boy who was confused and feared the night, which would bring haunting voices that his parents didn’t seem to understand and would result in him walking down a dark and lonely path.

A painful ache bloomed in her chest again at the thought of him. It was a double edged sword; beautiful as it reminded her of their moments together, especially their last moments, and heart-wrenchingly painful as it reminded her once more of his cruel fate and hers as she was now forced to live without him.

Rey’s answering smile was sardonic, “I’m not much for talking and compromising.”

Poe raked a hand through his hair, his patience running thin, “Neither am I, Rey.  _ Kriff _ , I have no fucking clue what I’m doing. But the galaxy needs us, they need some semblance of stability. And you would help a lot with keeping the peace right now.” 

“The galaxy is doing just fine without me,” Rey countered back, “you’re all doing fine. Besides, I’m no Jedi. I’m a scavenger now.”

Poe paused and the silence between them was stifling. He was considering her words before he replied. “You’ve changed.” Poe stated accusingly, his eyes slightly narrowed. “You haven’t been the same since Exogol. You haven’t even told us much about it, aside from Palpatine no longer being a problem. What happened back there?”

“Nothing happened.”

“What about with Kylo?”

“Don’t.” was her only reply, it was her warning that he was venturing into dangerous territory. 

Of course, Poe ignored it and continued pressing the issue, “We saw his TIE fighter when we were scanning for survivors. We never did find his body. Was he there with Palpatine? Did you kill the bastard?”

Rey’s gaze narrowed into dangerous slits, her anger rising and with it, the force as well. She felt it gather around her, coiled as a snake and ready to strike. Briefly, she had the thought of pushing Poe away, preferably back into his stupid x-wing, but she reigned the impulse in with deep, calming breaths. She stood on her feet, her irritation palpable. “It’s time for you to leave, Poe.”

He remained in place and  _ kriff _ , it was taking all her willpower to try and remain calm and not give in to her impulse. “You’re acting just like Luke did, and look at where that got him.”

Rey bristled at the comparison. It was  _ not _ the same. Luke exiled himself in shame. She exiled herself in mourning. Besides, she wasn’t lying. The galaxy was safe. Palpatine was no longer a threat. Why couldn’t they just let her mourn in peace? “Leave. Now.”

“Are you coming with me or not?”

“No.”

“Damn it, Rey.” Poe looked away briefly then back to her. “Three days. That’s all I’m giving you.”

“Or what?” Rey asked, her arms crossed over her chest in defiance.

“Or I send Finn here.”

“You wouldn’t”

“Oh, I would” he replied easily, “I know you won’t be able to say no to him.” Poe turned around, and began to make his way back to his ship, “Three days!” he repeated without looking back.

Rey waited until she could no longer see his ship in the sky before unleashing a long string of expletives attached to his name.

* * *

“You seem distracted.”

Rey looked up and instantly regretted it when the top of her head hit against the metal of one of the chilling vapors of the moisture vaporator she was working on. She rubbed at her head and quietly whispered a “fuck” before she turned her gaze over to the source of the voice.

Amber eyes winced and quickly muttered out a “Sorry,” while she handed Rey a damp towel.

Rey gratefully took the offered towel and pressed it to the top of her head, already anticipating that there will be a massive bump by tomorrow. “It’s fine.”

The red haired girl moved to crouch in front of Rey and extended her hand out, almost as if she were about to examine the spot herself before she thought better of it and retracted her hand, “Are you okay? You’ve been staring at the same vapor for the past hour.”

“Yes,” No. But the girl didn’t need to know that.

The girl herself seemed unconvinced, “I didn’t mean to pry. Just, I know it’s not good to hold things in. But I can’t make you talk about it. So if you ever do and you need someone to talk to, then I don’t mind listening.” 

The girl made to stand up and walk away but Rey stopped her, strangely compelled to confide in her, “I have…friends…that are telling me to do things that I don’t want to do. They keep telling me they know me, but I don’t think anyone does.” 

“What do you want to do?”

“I don’t know,” Rey quietly admitted, “I just felt a call to this planet. I don’t know why or for what. I just know that I’m supposed to wait for something.”

The girl regarded Rey with a look that she could only describe as a mixture of sympathy and curiosity; most likely questioning Rey’s sanity.

“It's fine.” Rey assured her. “Things will be as they are meant to be,” her voice quieted down to a whisper then, “the force always has a reason.”

They fell into a companionable silence, the only sounds between them the sounds of tools being moved and bolts being tightened. 

* * *

“Be with me,” she whispered out to the night sky from her bed.

It was quickly becoming a nightly ritual for her. A prayer for and against. Part of her yearned to see him, to hear him once again. The other part feared it, feared seeing and being confronted with the harsh reality that she so desperately wished were not true. 

“Be with me,” she repeated, closing her eyes against the sting of tears that threatened to fall.

“Rey?”

She shot up on her bed, her eyes frantically looking around the small and sparse room. “B-Ben?” she whispered hoarsely.

No answer, she stayed frozen in place for several long minutes before she forced herself to lay back down on the bed and this time did nothing to stop the tears. She reached over to the small table beside her bed with her hand and pulled a familiar black bundle and huddled it to her chest. To her dismay, his familiar scent was fading, but she couldn’t find it within herself to let go. It was the last pieces that remained of him, the only things that she recovered from Exogol that were his and were tangible. It was her only tether to her already fragile sanity; and she clung to it like it was her salvation. She held his black sweater tighter against her, as if she could merge it with herself, and that was how she finally fell asleep.

With haunting memories of a smile of pure happiness and hazel-brown eyes full of love. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there goes my heart again.
> 
> I'm sorry :(
> 
> As always, if you like the story please let me know! Constructive criticism is also welcome as I'm not a professional writer and I do not have a Beta to read after my mistakes XD
> 
> But Comments are greatly appreciated! They help keep me motivated.


	3. Resigned

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're going heavy into some feels territory.
> 
> Prepare your hearts, and some tissues.

The sounds of shuffling caused Rey to look away from her current project. This time she found herself performing some maintenance on some patch-in droids that had been lacking proper care for several years now. Some of their parts were rusted or caked in sand, which was a process she was working on until the distraction came up.

It was the girl again, she was moving over to a moisture vaporator to access the storage cistern and retrieve the collected water into a pail that she lugged around. Her movements were fluid, clearly it was something that she did routinely. Once the pail was almost full, she shut off access to the cistern and lifted the pail before making her way over to the entrance of the cavern, most likely to tend to the crops growing within.

“Everything going well?” game a gruff voice from behind her.

Rey turned around and faced the owner of the voice. There stood the father of the girl. She dimly realized that in all this time, she hadn’t even bothered to remember their names. She thought his name was Isijai; or was it Israrod? She couldn’t recall at the moment. He was a tall, lanky man; though she was sure that he was strong. He had short, dusty brown hair and blue-grey eyes which were a stark contrast to the girls red hair and amber eyes though Rey didn’t dare speculate on that. His face was hard-set; worn down by the harsh years on Tatooine. “Yes, most of it just needs a good cleaning. The parts are good.”

The man nodded, before turning his gaze over to the girl who had just reappeared with an empty pail and started to retrace her steps back to the vaporator. His eyes became softer, “She talks a lot about you,” he commented, “She admires you.”

“I don’t know what there is to admire. I’m just a scavenger.”

The man gave her a knowing look, “You know, I’m not sure what exactly you’re doing on Tatooine. Pretty sure you’re meant for more than just wasting your days here.”

Rey picked up on the hidden message beneath his words. “How long have you known?”

“Hard to ignore the call to arms from the Resistance. It’s also pretty hard to ignore the tales about a young Jedi woman named Rey.” At Rey’s silence, he continued, “It’s probably why my daughter admires you so much. Coming from the life of a scavenger to achieve great things. I know that my girl has become restless lately, and I know that I will have to let her go soon.”

Rey spared a glance at him and noticed his eyes were clouded over in sadness and what appeared to be guilt. It pulled at something deep within her, seeing the love of a father for his daughter. It was something that she herself never experienced, and a small part of her felt jealousy towards what they had.

Rey chose not to continue that line of topic and instead shifted to another, “How are you able to keep going after losing your wife?”

The man’s eyes widened and instantly fixed themselves to Rey who simply shrugged and looked away, “I was able to guess from some of the small comments your daughter made. I asked her once and she confirmed it to me,” she explained.

The man’s gaze grew distant, as if seeing something that Rey could not before replying, “I have something worth fighting for. I’m sure that you’ll find yours.”

The man turned around and began to walk away while Rey looked on and contemplated his words. He stopped a few steps later and spoke up, the words clearly directed at her, “Great many stories can begin from nothing…but they do not end in nothing. Find your path, girl. I’m sure you’re meant for more than what this planet has to offer you.”

With his final words he left, leaving Rey to her own thoughts.

* * *

“Please stop,” she whispered pleadingly.

She was back in her shelter; sitting on the small cot she called a bed with her back against the wall and her knees to her chest. Her arms hugged her knees with a near painful force, while her eyes were shut, trying valiantly to ignore the tug against her bond. It had to be a cruel joke, someone must be delighted at her pain and torment. She couldn’t do this, she couldn’t allow herself to open the bond. If she did so, she knew that she would be met with a gaping emptiness that could consume her completely.

The pull against her continued, and began to increase in its intensity. Rey frantically shook her head against it, as if that would be enough to stop the pull.

“Rey.”

Her heart leapt at the familiar sound. It was a low rumble, the voice a sinful caress against her skin that never failed to invoke an infinite multitude of feelings. Her eyes shot open and she blinks multiple times, trying to dispel the blur of unshed tears and as she blinks she sees him.

 _Ben_.

He was there, his whole presence overtaking the room. Tall, broad shoulders and strong body. He seemed so young, freed of the years of torment at the hands of Snoke, of Palpatine. There were no worry lines on his face, his skin held a healthy shade rather than the pale pallor she was accustomed to. His face was smooth, the scar that she had once inflicted onto him was gone. His expression was no longer guarded and a lump formed in her throat at seeing how open and expressive he was. All she saw was concern, and _love_ directed right at her.

He doesn’t look like a force ghost. At least, not like how she saw Leah and Luke. There was no thrum of energy around him, there was no blue tint surrounding his form. Rey closed her eyes again, unwilling to see, begging for mercy.

She heard his voice call her name again, and the ghost of a caress on her cheek. “Rey,” he began, “I will come back to you, sweetheart. I will find a way back to you.”

“No, please stop.” Rey begged. She choked back a sob and said accusingly, “You’re not here. You can’t come back. You’re dead. You said I wasn’t alone but you left me alone, Ben!”

There was no answer, and she briefly questioned her own sanity until she felt what had to be his forehead pressed against hers. She flinched, afraid that this moment wasn’t real but afraid that it was real at the same time.

Ben whispered, “No one is ever truly gone. Rey, I will come back to you. Wait for me. Wait for me.” He repeated, the sound a plea…a promise.

She opened her eyes and was met with a near consuming devastation to see he was no longer there. Rey pushed herself to stand and walked outside, welcoming the biting chill of the night air. She looked up at the night sky; and endless sea of black dotted by millions of stars and let out a scream filled with anguish and rage.

The force had forsaken her; it took away the one thing she wanted most. A family. And, because of that, she decided that maybe it _was_ best to leave Tattoine. Why should she continue following the very thing that has robbed her of her happiness? Rey blinked away the tears yet again, cursing at her continued weakness.

The force has already done enough to her.

Rey decided then and there that she would never follow it willingly again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I cried, this has been cathartic. 
> 
> Please don't forget to leave comments, they are loved <3


	4. Surprise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So we're finally starting to pick up on this plot. 
> 
> Also, expect death.
> 
> Much death.

This morning, Rey awoke with a well-known emptiness within her chest. She realized that at some point during the night, she dragged herself back to bed and somehow put on Bens sweater, seeking the comfort it offered her. BB-8 was watching her from the corner of the room, letting out a small series of beeps.

“I’m fine,” she replied hoarsely. BB-8 made some disbelieving sounding beeps but she ignored them and began moving through her morning routine; forcing herself through the same motions in preparation of another day.

Her last day on Tatooine.

* * *

This time, she was working on C-1 series astromech droid; which was ironically fitting. The droid could take over the repair jobs that she had been doing for the past month; so her presence wouldn’t even be missed.

“You seem to be decided today.”

Rey wasn’t even surprised to look up and see the father once again, an almost kind look in his expression. “Today is my last day. I’ll be looking to find my own path,” away from the force, she mentally added.

The father merely regarded her with a calculated look and said, “I’m not well versed in the force. But I believe that it’s not something you can simply run away from. It finds a way to let its will be known. Whether you want it to or not.”

Rey flinched, the movement almost imperceptible. She didn’t realize that she had voiced the last part. Her gaze went back to the droid in front of her with laser like focus, “For not knowing much, you seem to be very sure about your words.”

He shrugged her comment off, “Just something I heard before, and I believe the person that said it.”

“And who would that be?”

There was a brief silence before she heard his answer, “No one you know.”

After a moment longer, she dared to glance up, only to realize that he walked away again.

* * *

The twin suns had begun their descent over the horizon when Rey was finally done with her repairs. The droid makes a couple of beeps while it configured itself and she left it to its task. She was now facing both father and daughter at the front of their home. “Thank you, for everything.”

The father simply nodded in her direction before he spoke up, “I hope you find what you’re looking for.”

Rey nodded in response. The girl, however, was more expressive with her goodbye. She quickly closed the distance between them and pulled Rey into a tight hug, “Good luck with everything.”

Once the girl stepped away, Rey answered her with a small smile, “I wish you the same,” she replied before turning around to walk away.

It was finally time to forge a new path.

* * *

Rey returned back to her shelter shortly after leaving the farm, her meager belongings were already packed since this morning. She stood in the middle of the bedroom, staring intently at the black sweater that was folded neatly on top of her cot.

The sweater that belong to Ben.

She recalled how she bundled up the clothing he left behind, unwilling to leave any part of him behind in that desolate planet called Exogol and how it’s been her only source of meager comfort during some of the most painful nights. Rey debated leaving it behind; burying it alongside Luke and Leah’s lightsabers but she couldn’t seem to muster up the courage to let go. To bury the sweater would be to leave behind the last piece of him; and that held a finality that she was not ready to face.

So she packed it away in her bag to take with her.

Rey took her belongings and food rations and water that she accumulated over her time in Tatooine and put it all onboard of the millennium falcon, which she had moved from its previous spot to right beside the shelter.

Rey spared a glance back at the shelter that she used for the past month and mentally said a final goodbye before turning to board the ship. She made it to the cabin and began the pre-flight sequence, BB-8 rolled up beside her and let out a few questioning beeps.

“I don’t know where we’re going,” Rey replied absentmindedly.

BB-8 beeped a few more times.

“No, we’re not going back to the resistance right now. Maybe later.” Thankfully, BB-8 did not press the issue any further.

The way that Rey had landed the Millennium Falcon allowed her to have a view of the setting Tatooine suns. While she completed the last few tasks that would allow her to finally take-off and leave the planet, she looked up and then paused, her hand hovering above the final switches.

Plumes of grey were overtaking the darkening sky and casting an ominous presence. Just as she was about to continue forward with her take-off, the smell of fire and smoke reached her nose and she looked back out again, alarm overtaking her as she realized that the direction from where the smoke is coming from is the same direction as the farm of the girl and her father.

A foreboding feeling crept up on her spine and without thinking it, she began a mad dash to her sand bike and started the ride back to the direction of their home.

* * *

The closer she got the more frantic she became as the acrid smell of burning flesh started to reach her nose. The bike screeched to a halt and an audible gasp escaped her mouth at the sight that greeted her. The home was just a few feet in front of her and she sees it nearly engulfed in fire, the flames reaching high above her towards the sky, a start contrast to the darkness surrounding her. Without any thought, she ran in, the force instinctively curling around her to protect her from the flames that surrounded her and threatened to burn her; instead pushing the flames away from her.

As soon and she barged through the weakened door, she saw the sight of the father, _Isam_ , her brain finally remembered, leaning against the wall, his legs sprawled out in front of him, and his hands clutching at a wide gaping wound at his midsection. His face was bloodied and bruised, nearly unrecognizable.

Rey ran to him and immediately and tried to heal him but a hand on her wrist stopped her. Her eyes shot up to his and she saw that the man looked at her with distant, almost unseeing, eyes and shook his head. “Please, save my girl.” He pleaded, the sound garbled as a trail of blood leaked out of the corner of his mouth. “I didn’t see them until they got me. They took her. Please, I don’t care if I die,” he coughed, more blood trickling from his mouth, “Find her. Tell her to find my journal. Tell her I’m sorry.”

Rey was conflicted but his grip on her slacked and he slumped further down, his chest no longer rising and falling. Her decision was made for her.

He was dead.

Rey hung her head for a brief moment before she shot up to her feet, quickly scanning but unable to find the girl. She ran outside and debated on where to begin her search when she heard a blood curdling scream and ran towards the direction of it.

She ran into one of the caverns located on their farm, her hand instinctively reaching for and igniting her golden lightsaber. The golden glow illuminated the dark cave and the sounds became clearer, there were no longer any screams but there was a choking sound; someone was struggling to breathe. She was careful with her steps as there were some spots that were uneven but she couldn’t slow down her stride. It wasn’t an option and for the first time since she lost Ben on Exogol she prayed to the Force that she make it there on time.

Rey reached the end of the cave and the sight that greeted her stunned her completely. Several bodies littered the floor, Tuscan raiders, if she recalled correctly. Their facial features were covered by their masks but, somehow, she could tell that their eyes were opened in muted horror. Their bodies were mangled, limbs contorted in ways that they should not be, some with bones prominently sticking out against flesh but not quite breaking through. The worst part was their necks, twisted and mangled, some with what appeared to be marks of some type of constraint.

Her eyes moved up forward where the last raider was, hovering above the ground, clutching uselessly as his throat against some type of crushing force. And there, in the middle of the mass carnage, stood the girl. Her red hair flipped wildly against some unknown and unfelt wind. Her right hand was outstretched towards the raider, her fingers curled in a chocking gesture. And it took a while for Rey’s mind to process the scene before her and finally reach the only conclusion.

This girl was a force sensitive.

Rey cautiously approached the girl and tried to grab her attention, “Hey.”

The girl whirled around and Rey is caught off-guard once more by what she saw. The girls face was in contorted in pure rage, barely resembling the sweet and docile girl she knew of. Her lips were curled into a snarl, and her hazel eyes...her eyes now held flecks of gold in them. Rey realized in increasing horror that the girl was not only a force sensitive, but that she was strong in the force, and she was quickly losing herself to the dark side.

Rey tried to grab her attention again, cautiously approaching her but the girl unexpectedly reached her other hand out and attempted to force push her away. “Stay away!” the girl snarled before she turned her gaze back to the raider who was losing the struggle for his life. “They came just after you left. They ruined my home. They tried to use me. They _murdered_ my father!!” She spat accusingly. The girl held utter venom in her voice at her last words, “They deserve to die in the most painful way possible.”

The girl began to curl her fingers closer together and Rey knew that the raider would not last another minute. Rey, in her panic, quickly outstretched her arm towards the girl, calling on the force and near pleading mentally to stop her before she takes another life. The force responded and the girl quickly lost consciousness, her body falling to the ground in a loud and possibly painful thump. The raider fell to his knees, clutching at his throat and greedily gulping up air.

Rey regarded him for a brief second, her own anger wanting to rise but she managed to force it down, maintaining focus on her priorities, before she calmly stated, “Leave now, and don’t come back.”

The raider quickly rushed to his feet, almost tripping in his haste, and rushed out of the cavern. Rey quietly approached the girl, feeling the thrum of dark energy surround her. Her lightsaber now turned off, she sunk to her knees and pulled the girl onto her lap, her hand shakily moving to brush red hair from her face. Rey debated what to do, but decided quickly that she should at least bring the girl out of the cavern and try to help her maintain calm. The image of the girl’s father flashed through her mind, and her expression was one of sadness and guilt. The girl had no one now. An orphan like Rey. 

Rey began to formulate an idea in her head, although really, the decision had already been made before the idea had a chance to finish forming. Rey would bring the girl with her, help her to learn about the force and pull her back to the light. Rey couldn’t allow the girl to slip into the dark. She saw the results of leaving a force-sensitive to fall into the lure of the dark. Rey was determined to not follow the same mistakes as those before her.

She could not let her fall.

A familiar presence came from behind her, and if the force weren’t enough to let her know of who it was then his voice was, “Hey kid,” he paused, “Looks like you’re already making better decisions than I have.”

“What are you doing here, Luke?” There was no accusation in her tone, it was empty, “I have been calling for you for the past month.”

Luke scoffed from behind “You called for me verbally but you shut me out mentally. You turned away from the force, Rey. I wasn’t able to come to you before now.”

Rey does not comment on his answer, “Where’s Ben?”

Silence.

Of course Luke doesn’t reply; not when she needed answers the most.

“Where’s Ben?” She repeated again; her words more forceful this time.

“I can’t say,” Luke answers cryptically, which Rey had somehow anticipated and was already ready with a biting retort but he continued, “But you’re on the path to meeting him.”

What? “What path?” Rey found herself asking against her better judgment. Curiosity and _hope_ winning over her own sense of self-preservation “I’ve been here on Tatooine for a month and I don’t know why.”

She hears him in front of her now, “I’m pretty sure it’s obvious,” Rey looks up and sees Luke gesturing down to the girl whose head was on Rey’s lap, “It starts with her.”

Confusion bloomed on her face, and she glanced down at the girl once more. “What?” she found herself asking, because she was honestly at a loss, “I don’t know what to do.”

“Trust your instincts, the force will guide your way from there.”

Rey frowns at his cryptic words, and the question leaves her lips without thinking, “What do you mean trust my instincts? I don’t know what to do.”

Silence was her only response and when Rey decided to look up and ask again, she found that he was gone once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still trying to navigate and figure out how to tell this story.
> 
> I want to use it not only to bring Reylo to life but hopefully provide answers for the blatant plot holes left by Disney and JJ Abrams.
> 
> Also, I started a new position in my job which has been taking many hours away from me that I could be using to type more chapters. Updates might not be as frequent. But I will try my best!


	5. Familiar Ally

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not Beta read, because I have no Beta
> 
> Also, updates are going to be less frequent. My new job position has taken up a lot of my time and sanity. But I am still committed to finishing this story somehow, someway!

As Rey stared down at the girl in her lap, she found herself in quite the conundrum. Part of her wanted to wake the girl up, but she knew that it could either result in the girl entering a state of shock, or she could lash out again and Rey would have to be forced to place her under once more.

Her fingers lightly brushed hair away from the girl’s face; her expression oddly peaceful considering the rage that consumed her moments earlier. As Rey considered her options she felt a small shift in the force at the same time that the sounds of engine boosters echoed around her and the familiar smell of engine fuel started to permeate throughout the cavern. Rey stayed still, looking down at the young woman and wondering just what exactly she was supposed to do. She wasn’t worried over who it was that was outside the cave, she recognized the presence well.

Soon, the sounds of footsteps echoed in the cavern and she looked up towards the exit to see a familiar figure begin to emerge from the shadows, his easily distinguishable voice clear as he called her name. “Rey!”

“In here!” She replied, moving to gently lower the girls head back to the ground before standing up to greet him.

He increased his pace, coming to a stop just as soon as he saw the mass carnage around her. “What happened?” he asked, eyes wide at seeing the amount of dead bodies that littered the floor before honing in at the one right by her feet.

“I can explain later, I need help, Finn” Rey replies, “Can you help me move her? I can grab her legs if you get her arms.”

Finn seemed to hesitate for a second before nodding, Walking up to her and stooping down to grab hold of the girls upper arms while Rey bends down to hold onto her legs, being mindful to try and preserve as much of the girls modesty as she could, given the tattered state of her clothes. Huffing out a count of three, they heaved her up, ensuring they both had a hold hold before slowly making their way out of the cavern.

It was going to be a long night.

* * *

It was already well past midnight by the time they returned to Rey’s shelter. Finn took the girl over in the T-70 x-wing that he flew in while Rey took her sand bike. Right now, they were all huddled in the bedroom of the shelter, the girl laid out on the bed and Rey sitting at the edge of it, frowning as the way the girl murmured in her sleep and fidgeted. Finn stayed quiet leaning against the far wall, BB-8 silent as well next to him.

Finn had thankfully not asked any questions, allowing Rey the time to sort out her own thoughts about all the events that unfolded. Luke’s words still rung out in her mind, how she was on the path to seeing Ben again, and how it started with the girl that was now stirring from her slumber. A groan escaped the girl’s lips and Rey shifted her body towards her, watching as the girls eyes fluttered open and Rey let out a breath of relief at seeing that the golden flecks that were present before are no longer there.

Confusion took over the girls expression at realizing that she was not in her home and her eyes landed upon Rey, “What happened?” she croaked out, her voice small.

Rey exchanged a look with Finn, unsure of how much to divulge to the girl. “How much…do you remember?”

The girl moved to sit up, flinching and her hand coming up to rub at the back of her head. Obviously, the fall hurt more than Rey anticipated it would. “I…” the girl paused, her eyes clouding over briefly as she worked to remember what happened. Her eyes widened and a shaky breath escaped the girl as realization dawned on her. “Where is my father?” she asked, and Rey’s heart lurched at the amount of vulnerability present in her voice.

“I need you to calm down.”

The girls hazel eyes moved to meet Rey’s own, her voice becoming more desperate with each word, “Where is my _father_?”

“Take a breath; you’ve been through a lot-“

“Where is he?!” she ended in a shout, her body trembling and a single tear escaping her eye. “Please, please, _please_ …”

Rey did not answer, instead opting to shift her body towards the girl and wrap her arms around her. A small muffled sob reached her ears before the trembling began and then the cry started in earnest. The girl wailed in Rey’s arms, each sob echoing within Rey. The girl was going through the motions of loss as Rey had, as Rey continues to do, and all Rey could do is be present throughout it all.

At least the girl had Rey. When Rey first started processing her loss, she had no one.

Rey shook her head free of those thoughts. Right now, her priority was to help the girl process her grief and then take her away from here. _“Find her. Tell her to find my journal. Tell her I’m sorry.”_ Rey managed to do the first one, now all that was left was to fulfill the last two requests from Isam.

As the sobs began to die down, Rey pulled slightly away, but the girl quickly wound her own arms around Rey and refused to let go. So Rey stayed in place, waiting until the quiet hiccups gave way to the steady breaths associated with sleeping. Rey disentangled herself from the girl and laid her back down as best she could, pulling the covers up to the girl’s shoulders before moving to stand.

Throughout the whole time, Finn remained silent and watched, finally noticing that there the girl was fully asleep and that they could finally speak without the girl listening in. He motioned for Rey to follow him which she did silently. They both walked out of the bedroom and into the kitchen, BB-8 remaining behind and informing them that he would keep watch over the girl.

When they reached the kitchen Finn turned around to face Rey and crossed his arms over his shoulders, “Alright Rey, tell me everything.”

Rey pursed her lips, looking away from him and fixing her gaze to the window, watching the infinite amount of stars dotting the night sky, “It’s a long story.”

She heard him huff out a breath, “I have time, Rey. Now start talking.”

She closed her eyes and inhaled, preparing to tell him of her time of Tatooine.

It was indeed going to be a long night.


	6. Awake

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Work is heck busy as heck and I find I have less and less time to write.
> 
> BUT I AM STILL COMMITTED TO THE CAUSE!!

By the time Rey finishes recounting her tale of her time spent on Tatooine Finn is gaping at her in complete shock and Rey isn’t sure if she’s somehow pushed him to a point of no return.

He swallows, his Adam’s apple bobbing slightly at the action, “You’re saying that the _force_ somehow led you here. And that Luke came to you as a _ghost_ and told you that this _girl_ ,” he motions over towards the bedroom where said girl was still slumbering away, “is somehow the start of some weird journey you have to go through?”

“Force ghost,” Rey corrects absentmindedly.

“Right, okay, so force ghost.”

Rey bites her lower lip and nods.

“Why?”

Well there is was, the one question she was dreading. It wasn’t because she disliked the why, but because she was not sure if she was ready to let Finn know the why. Rey knew that he held a lot of hatred for Ben; still knowing him as Kylo Ren. Rey knew it was justified, she knew that he and the rest of the galaxy had more than enough reasons to loathe him, but they didn’t know him, they didn’t know the circumstances….

They didn’t know the real him.

They didn’t know Ben.

“I don’t know,” she found herself answering, “I just know that this is something I have to do, Finn.”

He looked at her as if he were ready to argue but instead shook his head and sighed, “I can’t say I understand, but I’m your friend…so I will go wherever you go, Rey.”

“You don’t have to-“

“No,” he stopped her from finishing her sentence, “Don’t you dare, Rey. I told you before, we’re friends. Let me be there for you, let me help you.”

She held back a sob at his words, a flood of warmth filling her as the word friend echoed through her mind. Part of her had forgotten, had stubbornly pushed away at the thought of friends. She has spent so much of her life alone, simply surviving on the harsh planet of Jakku, that it was easy to fall into those familiar habits. Isolation was so much easier than facing the pain of abandonment. But she should have known that of all the friends that she’s made along the way, Finn would stick with her to the end.

Even if she still had her reservations about how much to tell him regarding the real motivation behind this journey.

He was still her friend, hopefully that will be enough.

“Fine,” she acquiesced, “we have to wait for her to wake up first though.”

“Why?”

“I have to fulfill a promise.”

* * *

The soft patter of feet walking into the room was the sound that caused Rey to rouse from her fitful slumber. She blinked repeatedly, pushing past the haze of sleep and was greeted by the color red. Her vision slowly came into focus, realizing the red color was of the hair of said girl who was currently fidgeting with her hands, shifting her weight from one leg to the other at realizing that she wasn’t successful in slipping past Rey. Rey watched the girl, noticing the dark circles under her eyes which were red and puffy and the haunted expression on her face.

“I…” the girl paused, wincing at how her voice cracked at the single syllable.

“How are you feeling?” Rey asked, sensing the girls discomfort and trying to alieve it.

They girl appeared to be relieved to not have to face her demons quite yet, “Exhausted,” she answered, glancing around briefly before continuing, “Is this your home?”

“My shelter, yes.” Rey found herself clarifying, her chest tightening in pain at the word _home_.

She had no home.

Not anymore.

The girl seemed to sense Rey’s own discomfort and just remarked, “Ah, I see. It’s pretty bare. Lots of room.”

“Yes.”

Awkward silence filled the room, the only sound heard was the light, occasional, snores from Finn who was still blissfully asleep on the opposite side of the room.

The girl began to fidget again, “Well, thank you. I…I’ll just be going now,” she ended in a whisper, her feet beginning to move to the door that was several feet away.

“And where do you plan to go?”

The girl stopped, her body rigid.

“Your father asked me to deliver a message to you,” Rey said slowly, moving to stand as she does so. She approached the girl with the caution that one would have when approaching a cornered animal that was ready to skitter off. “He asked me to tell you that he was sorry, and to find his journal.”

Rey was eventually able to get close enough to the girl to grab her should she try to bolt, but thankfully she didn’t do so, instead taking a deep breath to steady herself before she replied, “Thank you, I’ll go to look for it.”

“I’ll go with you.”

“You don’t have t-“

Rey cut her off, “I want to.”

The girl smiled, though it was hollow compared to the previous times that Rey remembered of her smiling, “You really don’t have to. Weren’t you supposed to leave last night? Besides,” she shrugged, “it won’t be anything interesting, I think. You have better things more worthy of your time…”

Rey stared at the girl, watching the slight tremble of her lower lip and the shine of unshed tears in her eyes and realized that the girl was doing the exact same thing that Rey did when she lost Ben.

Isolation.

Rey took a deep breath, “I’m not leaving you alone.”

The girl seemed irritated at Rey’s insistence, “I’m not a child th-“

“You’re force-sensitive.”

“What?” she breathed out.

“You don’t remember last night, do you?” Rey asked.

The girl seemed to be about ready to cry again, still not willing to face her loss, so Rey quickly clarified, “I mean what happened after you were taken to the cavern and before you collapsed,”

The girl tilted her head to the side, her eyes squinting in concentration, “No…” she finally answered, “it…I can’t remember much of anything.”

“I see.”

“What happened?”

Brief flashes of mangled bodies entered Rey’s vision as well as flecks of yellow tainting hazel colored eyes. “I saw you use the force,” she answered vaguely, “You are very powerful and I can’t leave you untrained.”

“I never asked for training.”

“I know, but it would be good for you.”

“How would you know?”

“Have you ever felt as if, something has always been there?” Rey watched the girl flinch at her words, “and now that it’s awake, you feel afraid? Alone?”

The girl looked down at the floor, “I thought….no one else seemed to know, to understand that I never felt like I fit in here. I always wanted something more, something beyond this desert sand and twin suns…”

“Then why hesitate? I’m offering you that chance now, to come with me, with us,” she gestured over to where Finn was still asleep, “and to learn about the Force. You’re not alone.”

The moment the familiar words left her mouth her mind flashed back to her time on Ahch-To, to a damp cave with the sounds of heavy rain and the dark night sky; of the warm orange glow of a campfire and of a hand outstretched towards her, and the owner of said hand staring intensely at her. Rey sucked in a sharp breath at the memory, so vivid in her mind that it almost felt as if she was actually back there, reliving it all over again.

“Okay”

It took Rey a moment to register the murmured word, and a second longer to realize that it came from the girl that was still in front of her, still looking as if she were ready to skitter off should the chance present itself. “Okay?”

The girl looked off to the side, then fixed a steady gaze towards Rey and gave a firm nod, “Okay.”

Rey exhaled in relief, “Okay then, let’s go and find that journal.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I already have the next chapter typed up and I'm hoping to use that to keep up a weekly update with this story.
> 
> I was originally anticipating 20 chapters, but looking at how much outline I have it might be more between 30-40....
> 
> Oops.


	7. There is Always Hope

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am on a roll with these chapters. Lets hope I can keep up the momentum :O

The ride back to the farm had been done in silence, which Rey was thankful for.

After settling to matter of where the girl would go, Rey woke Finn up and explained that they had to finish a task and asked him to prep the ships for flight. Thankfully, Finn didn’t argue and set to work on the pre-flight procedures along with BB-8. Rey and the girl then made their way over to the sand bike, and started their journey.

The travel allowed Rey to get her thoughts into order. The earlier moment where she had the flash of memory left her unsettled. It wasn’t the fact that she had the thought of Ben; that was something that she was used to, he was constantly on her mind. No, what left her unsettled was that the memory appeared so real to her, so much so that it reminded her of the two other moments where she had such a jarring experience. The time that she first held Luke’s lightsaber…

And the time she first touched Ben’s hand.

 _A force vision_ , that’s the only answer that echoed in her mind. The question was _why_ ; why that memory.

Why now?

That was what perplexed her the most. She racked her mind trying to determine if there was something she was supposed to decipher from the memory. But no matter how many times she thought it over, she could find no answer. It was one of those times that she wished the Force would be more direct with their clues, a thought that has been more frequent as of late.

The sight of the charred remains of the home came into view and Rey slowed the sand bike down to a stop a few meters away. She felt the girl shake from her arms, which were currently firmly clasped around Rey's stomach.

“You don’t have to...” Rey began, stopping when she felt the girl shake her head from behind.

“I have to. I need to.”

“Alright, if you do have to leave, just wait by the bike okay?”

“Sure.”

With that settled, they disembarked from the sand bike and started to walk towards the house. The dark, almost pitch black remains were a stark contrast to the sand of the desert. The smell of burnt metal hung in the air, which was a relief to Rey who still remembered how last night it was burnt flesh that assaulted her nose.

“I’m surprised that it burned down so badly,” Rey remarked quietly.

The girl came to step beside her and nodded, “Tuscan raiders are known to carry items that can help clear out settlements that they raid. They aren’t fans of leaving things standing.”

Rey didn’t answer, instead opting to take a calming breath. She couldn’t help the brief anger that welled up at the thought of those raiders invading another home, destroying another family. She forced the thought away, reminding herself that vengeance is not the answer to anything, instead it would only lead her to the dark, and the dark would consume her.

Just as it almost consumed the girl beside her.

Rey noted the girl freeze right beside her, and she instantly remembered the disturbed mound of sand that was right beside the home. She had debated on what to do with the girls fathers body, whether to leave it within or to give it some sort of burial. In the end, she figured that the lease she could do was give the man a burial, in honor of his memory, rather than leave his corpse to rot within the home. The girl took slow measured steps, coming to a stop right by the unmarked tomb. She knelt down and bowed her head, her shoulders shaking slightly as she took a moment in private. Rey stood a distance away, allowing the girl the space needed to say whatever she needed to say. After a few moments, the girl stood and turned towards Rey, giving a slight nod as indication that she was done and that they could continue.

Rey nodded before she paused at the front of the home, unsure of how to proceed. A gentle touch on her arm had her turn towards the girl who shook her head, “There’s another way in.” Rey quirked an eyebrow at her statement, but didn’t comment and instead followed behind the girl. “My father was always cautious,” she said, elaborating on her previous statement, “he had multiple ways into the home, all of them well hidden. He always said that it was for whenever we had to make a quick escape,” she shrugged, “but I never knew why.”

Rey hummed in response, the rest of the walk silent as they neared one of the numerous caverns that surrounded the farm. This cavern, Rey noticed was completely shallow, the end of it at least 10 feet deep. As they approached, the girl veered over to the side of the cavern entrance, feeling around the wall. Rey watched in interest as the girl knocked at different spots until she heard a distinct click and a piece of the wall gave way to reveal a keypad. The girl quickly typed in a number combination, a beeping sound came from the keypad, and suddenly the floor rumbled just ahead of the cavern and the floors parted to reveal a staircase, lights that lined the walls on the way down flickering on.

“Wow,” Rey whispered, thrown off by just how elaborately hidden the entrance was.

The girl just nodded and proceeded down the stairs, Rey following right behind her. The stairs led down to a narrow hallway that was barely lit by the small lights, but at least were enough to roughly make out the path in front of them. They came up to a dead end, the wall oddly smooth compared to the carved out look of the hallway. The girl paused and paused against the wall, a _push panel_ Rey recognized, which gave a soft click before a whooshing sound filled her ears, the panel sweeping off to the left side and revealing a bedroom.

The bedroom was untouched from the fire, frozen in time compared to the house above. It was small and cozy, with a comfortable bed that was placed against the wall to their left, covered by a plush and likely handmade blanket on top. A desk and chair was across the other side of the bed, to the right of the wall, a datapad resting on top of the dark wood and a storage chest, likely for clothes, was next to it. “My room,” the girl whispered, walking over to the table to pick up the datapad, clutching it to her chest.

Rey remained silent, watching the girl look over the room, likely committing it to memory once more, before moving to the door that was directly across from where they came in. Rey followed, marveling at how relatively undisturbed this part of the home was. The girl led her down the right of her room, to a door that was at the end. Rey stayed outside, not wanting to intrude even more then she had. She watched the girl quickly disappear into the room for a few seconds before appearing again, a second datapad and a small, worn book in her hands.

At Rey’s reaction, the girl gave a small embarrassed smile, “My dad wasn’t very….accustomed to technology. As you can see, Tatooine is not a very lucrative place to live in. I was able to find these,” she inclined her head to the two datapads, “in a black market and brought them home. It took a while but he finally was able to start using it for logging instead of his book. So there may be things in here too.”

“I see,” Rey replied, extending her hand out, “I can carry something if you’d like.”

The girl seemed to hesitate for a moment, before reluctantly giving Rey the small book. Rey flashed her a small smile in thanks and took the book in both hands…

A sharp gasp escaped the moment that the book was in Rey’s possession. Her body feeling as if it was literally being forcibly sucked into a void. Darkness surrounded her and the silence was so prevalent to the point that she wondered if it was her eardrums were just ruptured. As soon as she finished that thought, a voice echoed throughout the empty space; an all too familiar voice, low and smooth that caressed her soul.

“Rey.”

“Ben?” she choked out, moving her head in every direction but meeting nothing but darkness, “where are you?”

“Rey, I’ll find you, I will always find you.”

“Ben, where are you?” she called out, desperation leaking into her tone, “Ben, I’ll go to you! Tell me where you are!”

“I will come back for you, sweetheart.”

His voice was quickly fading, and Rey started to sweep her arms out in every direction she could, distraught at the idea of Ben leaving, “Ben! Please wait!”

She felt her body being pulled down, gravity becoming too hard to resist, despite her frantic attempts to stay. “Ben!” she screamed, the last word that left her lips before she feels the tell-tale signs of falling.

A strangled scream escapes her lips, her eyes closing, and her stomach bottoming out at the feeling of her body plummeting through endless darkness. Her body is trembling, a tingle running up and down her spine at the feeling of falling. It was likely only seconds, though it felt like minutes, of falling until she was suddenly halted in mid-air.

She opened her eyes to see a familiar sight before her. A night sky filled with stars, the calm background interrupted by multiple flashes of lightning. A loud chanting reached her ears, ominous, low and all too known. Hot, searing pain filled her whole body, tearing a blood-curdling scream from her throat. Rey felt as if her mind was being forcibly pulled apart in different directions, her memories being rifled through with no regard for her sanity. She only remembered feeling this level of pain once, in a room with walls lined with red and where she coinfronted the face of the first Order.

Snoke.

She struggled against the hold that he had on her body, her eyes watering at the excruciating pain that vibrated throughout her whole form. She manages to lift her head enough to look straight ahead, anticipating the scarred and mangled face of the humanoid.

The sight that greeted her knocked the remaining air from her lungs.

The body that she saw was young and vibrating with energy, chaotic and unstable compared to what she expected. Instead of scarred and mangled, the face was round, pale, and smooth. Bright yellow eyes and dark raven hair greeted her instead of blue eyes and a bald head. Instead of tall and imposing, the being before her was shorter, with soft curves.

It was _her._

The girl.

She was there, perched upon Palpatines throne, a manic smile on her face while her arm is outstretched towards Rey, holding her suspended inches above the ground. The painful pulses increased in its intensity, tearing another scream from her throat. Rey panicked, trying to call for the girl, but finding her mind drawing blanks. She realized that she didn’t know the girls name and, even if she did, her vocal chords didn’t seem capable of heeding her command.

 _Please stop_ , she mentally pleaded, closing her eyes and hoping against all hope to grab the girl’s attention, to stop her. Desperation clawed from within, its intensity nearly as powerful as when she fought to bring Ben back to the light. She couldn’t fail. Failing meant losing the girl and losing Ben. Rey found that she couldn’t stand that thought.

Suddenly, the pain disappeared. Rey opened her eyes and found herself standing and surrounded by pure white. She took the opportunity to breathe and calm herself once more, pushing away at the fear and despair that overtook her just moments before.

She felt a presence then, and her shoulders slightly slumped as the tension began to wane; she didn’t know the presence personally but she knew who it was. After all, he were there lending her aid when she asked for them to be with her, “Master Qui-Gon Jinn”

“ _Master Rey.”_

Her smile was self-deprecating, “I’m no master.”

_“I would argue against that, but I’m sure you will see yourself in due time. For now, I am here for another reason.”_

“The vision,” Rey concluded.

_“Yes.”_

“How do I stop it?”

_“That depends solely on you and the path you walk toward.”_

Rey sighed, “I really wish for once someone could just _tell_ me what I’m supposed to do instead of offering cryptic messages.”

Though she couldn’t see him, she could somehow tell that he smiled at her complaint, which was only mildly disconcerting, _“Then I will be more direct. Your focus determines your reality.”_

“That isn’t exactly direct,” Rey pointed out, “I need to do something to stop what I saw. I have to stop that future from happening.”

_“Don’t center on your anxieties, Rey. Concentrate on the moment. Feel, don’t think. Use your instincts.”_

“But, that goes against the Jedi teachings,” Rey countered, “they always stressed being mindful of the future.”

_“But not at the expense of the moment. Be mindful of the powerful force of the open road, master Rey. That girl will have need of you, finding her was the will of the Force. I have no doubt of that.”_

Rey wanted to point out that he technically _was_ part of the force, so he would know what is and isn’t part of the will of the force but she forced that thought down. At least that was as clear an answer as ever; the Force led her to Tatooine, led her to the girl. For what, she wasn’t sure. But what she was sure was that she could not let that vision come to pass, she had to keep the girl in the light. She had to save this girl, and following this path will also lead her to Ben. So instead, she sighed, “I understand. I will keep your council in mind.”

Rey could tell that she was slipping away from wherever she was now.

_“Rey, there are many realities in the universe, some of them quite harsh. One reality that is inescapable is that there is nothing more valuable than a friend. More than food, more than shelter, and more than weaponry, an ally can save your life.”_

Rey frowned at that, was he implying to stick by Finn? Rely on those within the Resistance? No, she couldn’t do that. She couldn’t ask them to assist her in this journey that had no clear path. This was something that she had to accomplish on her own. Even if the girl were to accompany her, Rey could not see herself ask the girl to risk her life more than necessary. The girl had already lost so much, she had no hope left…

Her head felt fuzzy, and Rey closed her eyes against the increasing pressure that she felt all over her body. She heard someone distantly calling out for her, but she couldn’t seem to identify who it was. Just as she was pulled away, she heard one last sentence from the former Jedi Master.

_"There Is Always Hope."_

When Rey opens her eyes, the first reaction she had was to jerk back, her foot tripping over itself and her body falling down and hitting the ground. She let out a small groan of pain, knowing for sure that she would bruise by tomorrow but more preoccupied by what caused her to stumble over herself. The girl stood in front of her, her arm slightly outstretched towards where Rey was standing mere moments ago, her eyes wide in panic as they locked with Rey’s. It took Rey a few seconds to process that she reacted to the girls gesture the same way Luke reacted to his visions of Ben.

Fear.

She swallows the sudden lump that formed in her throat, watching as the girl hastily bend down to pick up the book that Rey managed to drop at some point, clutching it to her chest like a lifeline.

“I’m sorry,” Rey breathed, “I just…I was caught off-guard for a moment.”

The girl shook her head frantically, “No, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have tried to touch you. I guess whatever I did was not good if you reacted that way…”

“No,” Rey replied, moving to stand back up, patting down her clothes with her hands, “it wasn’t you. I just had a vision.”

The girls eyes grew wider, but this time in wonder, “A vision? Truly? What sort of vision?”

Rey pursed her lips, unsure of how much to tell her, “A vision with a former Jedi Master. He just said that we are on the right path.”

The girl tilted her head in confusion, “That’s all? It doesn’t appear to be much considering…”

“Considering?”

“Well, considering…your reaction,” the girl looked away shyly.

“Oh, sorry. It just happens,” Rey shrugged, “either way, we found what we needed. It would be best to make our way back. Finn should be ready with the ships.”

“Where are we going?”

Rey paused for a moment, realizing that she had not actually decided on where to go. The words of Master Qui-Gon Jinn echoed in her head, _“More than food, more than shelter, and more than weaponry, an ally can save your life.”_

With that in mind, there was really only one option.

“We’re going to the Resistance, to Coruscant”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave comments, they feed my muse <3


	8. Space

“Are you sure we should bring her along?”

Rey frowned in disapproval at the sound of Finn’s voice through her commlink before turning her gaze back over to the girl, who was currently sitting on the second seat in the cockpit, her hands gripping at her father’s book with a white-knuckled intensity, while her eyes remained glued to the cover. “Yes, I’m sure, Finn. Preparing to enter hyperdrive. Take care of BB-8 and see you at base.” Rey ended the communication and began her own preparations. She worked at flipping a few different switches and pressing several buttons in precise sequences, before hitting the final button, the ship lurching forward and the expanse of space outside blurring before them.

Rey heard the girl beside her take a sharp breath, and looked over to see her body tense. She couldn’t help the small laugh that escaped her, “First time? You’ll get accustomed to it.”

The girl shifted over towards Rey, her eyes wide in shock, “I don’t think I ever want to step back into a ship after this…”

Rey laughed then, “We’ll see.”

The girl still seemed tense, “H-how long until we reach Coruscant?”

“Approximately 10 hours.”

“Oh.”

They stayed in silence for a few minutes, allowing the girl time to become accustomed to the movement of the ship. After a while, Rey was able to hear the girls breaths slow down to a normal rate, “Feel better?”

“Not really,” the girl shrugged, “but better than before…marginally.”

Rey smiled, “Well, since we have time, you can go ahead and take a rest at the main hold. There’s a bunk there that you can sleep in.”

The girl shook her head, “No, I was hoping that maybe we could,” her eyes flicked back down to the book, Rey following the movement.

“I see. If you are ready to, then you can go and look at it.”

“I was hoping...” the girl paused, “well, that you could be with me? I’d rather not…”

Be alone, were the words left unsaid. Rey could only nod, watching as the girl visibly relaxed, her shoulders slumping as her fingers absently traced patterns over the book cover before gripping it at the edge and slowly turning it open.

The girl’s expression was one of deep concentration, flipping from page to page while her lips slowly turned downwards into a frown, “I don’t understand.”

“What?”

“There’s nothing here,” she muttered, continuing her exploration of the pages, confusion more and more palpable with each turn of the page. “It’s just lists of items, or notes about something he found during the day he’s logged. I don’t see anything of significance.” Her eyes glance up to meet Rey’s, “What was I supposed to find?”

Rey heard the slight tremble in her voice, her quiet calm wavering in sadness and frustration, “Keep looking,” she found herself encouraging, “maybe there’s something later on, maybe something that stands out?”

The girl appeared skeptical but continues skimming through the book; and really, Rey realizes that she should find out what exactly her name is. But at this point, it felt more awkward if anything to ask, especially considering they’ve known each other for a month. Hopefully, the girl will introduce herself and Rey will be able to hear her name, or read it somewhere.

“Wait,” the girl muttered, pulling Rey from her thoughts.

“What is it?”

“I’m not sure, every few pages there’s a random number scribbled at the bottom.”

“A code?” Rey moved so her body leaned closer to the girl, to be able to glimpse at what she saw. Rey saw it, on one of the pages was the number six scribbled hastily at the bottom right corner. “Could it be to unlock something? Or maybe directing you to a specific page?”

“Oh!” the girl exclaimed, moving her hand over to grab one of the datapads that rested ontop of the ship console, “It could be a code to unlock one of his files!” She frantically swiped her finger over the screen, scrolling past a few different datafiles until she reached the bottom of the list, “Aha!”

Rey peered over and sure enough, there was an unnamed and encrypted file. “Try the numbers.”

The girl nodded, inputting the sequence of numbers one by one, frowning when a message flickered across the screen, “It says it’s not correct…”

Rey pursed her lips, “A different sequence maybe?”

The girl typed in the sequence in reverse order, but was met with the same message. “Maybe I was wrong?”

“I don’t think so,” Rey rubbed her chin in thought, “maybe the numbers represent something else. Or was your father in the habit of scribbling numbers randomly like this?”

The girl shook her head, “he was meticulous in what he did. There must be a reason.” The girl stared intently at the datapad, the gears in her mind moving.

Rey choose to give the girl space, moving to stand and exiting the cockpit. She leaned against the wall next to the door, wrapping her arms around herself and sighing. She had been so busy preparing to leave and following the words of Luke and Qui-Gon Jinn that she hadn’t stopped to consider _how_ exactly she was supposed to present this girl to the Resistance. She couldn’t bring her in as a new recruit, as they would possibly be out on a journey. She _also_ couldn’t present her as a Jedi student; considering how adamant Poe was about Rey sticking around with the Resistance while they work on uniting the galaxy.

A sharp call of her name had Rey quickly move back inside, seeing the girl hovering trembling fingers over the datapad. “I unlocked it,” her eyes moved over to look at Rey, “there’s several files, the first one…i-it’s a video.”

Rey moved over slowly, sitting back down at her seat while the girl held the datapad in front of them. Rey reached out and grasped the other side, helping to keep the device stable. The girl gave her a grateful smile before looking back over at the screen, taking a deep breath, and pressing play.

At first the screen was dark and silent, and Rey wondered if maybe the video wasn’t working but then a white light briefly flashed, illuminating a familiar bedroom and an even more familiar face came into view.

 _“My darling daughter,”_ he began, and Rey could swear that the man seemed so weary and burdened in the video, even more so than when she saw him in person, _“if you’re seeing this now it means that I’ve either left the planet or I’ve just left you alone period.”_ The man on the screen sighed, _“There’s so much I’ve come to regret. If I could go back and change things, I would. But maybe this force really is what wills all. Whatever it may be, you are now here and watching this. I want to start by saying I’m sorry. I’m sorry that you’ve been forced down this path. I wish that I could be there in person, maybe then you would understand,”_ another sigh, _“But it’s too late for that. My child,”_ the man paused, seeming to be gathering his courage to force the next words out, _“I know you’ve been wanting answers about your mother.”_ The girl let out an audible gasp, _“and I haven’t given you any. But there is a reason for that, and if you want to find those answers then it will carry you off-planet.”_

“Off-planet?” the girl whispered, as if she were carrying a conversation with her father rather than watching a pre-recorded video.

 _“If you are ready the face to full truth, then you will have to find a way off-planet,”_ he paused, _“maybe you could ask that Rey girl, she could help you, I hope. At the end of the video will be instructions on where your destination would be. This will be the first part of your journey. I cannot guarantee your safety if you walk this path, which is why I hope that Rey or someone capable can accompany you. If not, you can always stay at home. Peel back the cover of my journal and you’ll see a credit chip. It’s not much, but it can provide you with several days of food and lodgings.”_ The man swallowed, his throat bobbing at the movement before he stared straight at them, endless sadness and anguish present in his eyes, _“Whatever you choose to do, I pray you remain safe. May the force be with you, princess….always.”_

With that, the video quickly went dark once more. Rey glanced over at the girl, and saw her take several unsteady breathes, her eyes still glued to the screen as if she were waiting for him to reappear again. Unsure of what to do, Rey reached out and awkwardly patted the girls back in a gesture of comfort. They remained that way for several minutes, the only sounds heard were the girls shaky breathes and the hum of the Millennium Falcon’s engines.

“Could you…could you look at the coordinates for me?” the girl asked, her eyes still on the screen, “I need a moment.”

“Of course,” Rey replied, taking hold of the datapad while the girl stood up and walked out of the cockpit. Rey debated if she should follow behind her, but she remembered her first days after Exogol, and how she shunned the presence of anyone and everyone; seeking the kind of solace that only isolation could give her.

With that in mind, Rey decided to be respectful of the girl’s wishes and allow her the space she needed to grieve in peace, turning her attention back to the datapad in her hands.

* * *

They were about 5 minutes away from making planetfall when Rey heard the distinct _whoosh_ of the doors sliding open, and the sounds of footsteps of the ships only other occupant making her way to sit back down in her seat, the sounds of her strapping and securing herself to her seat before a loud exhale was heard, “Thank you.” The girl whispered.

“It’s fine, I should be the one thanking you,” at that, the girl opened her mouth in surprise, “you gave me space when I needed it. I’m just returning the favor.”

The girl flashed her a small, hesitant smile before turning to look back out to the view of stars before them, “How far would we have to go after stopping here?”

“Not very far at all, actually.”

“Oh? Is the location my father sent in the core?”

“Yes,” Rey answered, watching as the rounded and hazy covered planet increased in size the closer they were. “You could say it’s a lot closer than you think.”

The girl tilted her head to the side, her eyes wide in wonder as she took in what appeared to by millions of different lights that dotted the planet’s surface, “Where is it?”

Rey let a small smile escape her lips, her hands taking control of the ship and preparing them for entering the planets obit, “Right in front of you.”

“What?”

“Welcome to Coruscant.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments feed my muse <3


	9. Meeting the Resistance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still going strong!

Through the commlink, Finn navigated them to land on one of the numerous landing pads were situated at the top of what had to be the tallest building in the vicinity. Rey and the girl couldn’t help but gape, both of them unused to seeing so much activity.

The city, that Finn called the Core Square, held massive metal structures that reached the highest peaks towards the sky. The architecture was strange, with some buildings square in shape while others curved in towards the top, creating a dome-like effect. Other buildings had even stranger structures, which had Rey inwardly question the integrity of said buildings. What all the buildings had in common were the translucent windows that emitted a glow from the lights that illuminated the interiors.

Multitudes of different airships, from cargo transports to x-wings, zoomed by across the skies both above and below them, moving in orderly lines. The city, no, the whole planet, was humming with activity and life; far different than Jakku, Tattoine, or even Ahch-To.

The girl, admittedly, was processing the surprise and shock far easier than Rey would have imagined. Her eyes kept moving, trying to take in all of the new sights at once, similar to a child learning how to explore the world. In a way, it was a highly similar comparison, considering that, as far as Rey knew, the girl has never left Tatooine once in her life.

“I never knew there could be so _many_ ,” the girl whispered in amazement, and Rey could only nod in agreement.

The landing sequence went smoothly, and soon the hum of the engines died down to a complete stop. Rey and the girl quickly made their way out and disembarked the Millennium Falcon, walking down the ramp and seeing a crowd of onlookers already gathered around the ship, faces both old and new to Rey greeting them.

Rey smiled briefly at seeing many of the members of the Resistance there, all clapping and cheering at her arrival. It was a comfort and yet she felt out of her element, completely unused to receiving such an animated welcome. At the front of the welcome wagon stood Poe, Jessika, and Finn; who had landed earlier and was able to run over to their landing pad to meet them.

Rey’s pace slowed down considerably, wondering how she was supposed to handle speaking to Poe now, considering the last time they parted was on shaky ground.

The girl, meanwhile, was completely oblivious to Rey’s inner turmoil, twirling around to walk backwards and beaming over at Rey, “This is amazing!”

Rey smiled in response, tugging on the girls arm to halt her backwards walk before she collides into the group of people and then looks over at the new leader of the Resistance, “Poe.”

Poe slightly nods in her direction, “Rey. Welcome back.”

“Yeah, well, we may not be here for long.”

At that, Poe raised an eyebrow in response, “We?” he eyes moved her towards the girl, who was once again fidgeting at realizing that everyone’s attention and whispered questions were all aimed towards her. “Who’s the child?”

The girl bristled at that, “I’m not a _child_.”

Poe did not seem convinced, “Uhuh, like I said, who’s the child?”

“This young woman is my student.” Rey interjected before the girl could reply.

“Your student.”

“Yes.”

Poe seemed to want to say something to Rey until he realized the amount of eyes on them and simply sighed, “Look, let’s go inside and talk in private.”

Rey frowned but nodded in response, following behind Poe, Jessika, and Finn through some sliding doors that led straight to an elevator.

Poe turned around from inside the elevator and frowned at the sight of the girl walking beside Rey, “She can stay up here.”

Rey crossed her arms in defiance, “She goes where I go.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“We can always leave.”

“Rey, this isn’t up for discussion!” Poe gritted out between clenched teeth.

Rey was ready to argue back but a hand on her arm halted her words. She looked down to see a small, calloused hand and followed the arm to said owner. The girl was chewing on her lower lip and shook her head, “its okay, I can stay and wait.”

“Let her pass, Poe.” Finn’s voice rang out, all eyes swinging towards him. Finn’s hand was clasped firmly on Poe’s shoulder, his eyes held determination and his tone of voice had a finality that brokered no argument.

Poe passed a hand through his hair in aggravation and bit out a terse, “fine,” punching the button for their floor destination with a little more aggression than was necessary.

The rest of the group quickly stepped into the elevator and the amount of tension in the small space was so thick that it could almost be cut with a knife. After a few moments, the elevator slowed to a stop and the doors opened once more. The group stepped out into the long hallway and made their way towards the end of it. Rey noted that there were doors that lined the hallway at either side, possibly offices or other gathering rooms. Once at the door, Poe quickly punched a code at the panel to the side and a loud audible beep sounded out. The door lid open and the group stepped into the room.

It was a conference room, a circular table with a hologram projector at the center and chairs lined around it. Floor to ceiling windows lined the walls, offering an unobstructed view to the outside world. In the room there were already others seated around the table, Rey recognized Kaydel, Vi Moradi, Rose, Wexley, and Zorii Bliss.

“Where’s Chewie?” Rey found herself asking, pausing to take the closest seat to the door that they entered from, and motioning for the girl to take the seat to her right.

“He’s out with Lando and Jannah at the moment,” Finn replied.

“Oh, I see.”

“They should be back planet side within the standard week.”

“Okay.”

The ground descended back into silence for a moment until Zorii sighed and made to stand, “You all look like this is a funeral rather than a reunion. Welcome back, Rey.”

Rey nodded towards the ex-spice runner, “Nice to see you again. How’s Babu Frik?”

Zorii grinned, “Still tinkering somewhere in this building, he sends his regards.”

“Tell him I said hi.”

“Will do.”

Poe cleared his throat, calling everyone’s attention back to him, “Well, now that all that’s done. Welcome back, Rey. We all missed you here.”

Rey wasn’t sure how to reply to that, and simply mumbled a thanks in response.

Poe appeared to be relieved at Rey’s calm response, “Since we’re all here, let’s start talking about the state of things right now.” The hologram projector whirred to life, bringing up an image of the whole system, “Currently we’ve been able to secure a good hold on several key planets in each of the rims.” Several planets took on a green glow on the projection, “The ones in green are the ones that are currently backing us. You’ll see there’s a lot of big players like Coruscant, Kashyyk, Lothal, Naboo, Endor, Bespin, Chandrila, and several smaller planets. While officially we are stationed in Chandrila; we’re temporarily here in Coruscant as we are expecting representatives from each of these planets to come together to discuss how to come together and move forward.”

“What of the other planets?” Rey asked.

“Glad you asked,” the hologram now had several other planets highlighted in grey; it had to be at least double, if not triple compared to the green ones, “The ones in grey are planets that remain neutral, or we just haven’t received any response to our communication attempts. And lastly,” several planets began to glow red, “these are the planets that are known First Order sympathizers, or have just outright refused our offer.”

“That’s a lot more planets than I thought there would be.”

Poe nodded, his expression grim, “Apparently, Palpatine had a stronger foothold than we anticipated. Some of the planets are no surprise, like Vardos, even though they rebelled against the First Order at one point they are still fierce supporters of the Empire and Palpatine. Theres others in there that don’t necessarily support the Sith or First Order outright but do not appreciate being regulated, like the planets in Hutt Space.”

Kaydel spoke up then, “Right now we’re trying to assess what the damages have been during the war and what the needs are for the planets that are in agreement with working together. Then we’ll turn our focus to the neutral planets and hear what their concerns are and how we can bring them on board.”

“But that may take years, wouldn’t that also give time for those loyal to Palpatine or against the Resistance to also group up and strengthen their forces?” All eyes turned toward the girl, whose cheeks flushed in response, “Sorry.”

“No, it’s alright,” Jessika spoke up, flashing a smile at the girl, “We’re also working on getting a grasp on the communication satellite networks and subspace transceivers so we can keep an eye on communications sent out or received from these planets.”

“Ah, I see.”

“What about the remaining First Order?” Rey asked, “While many of the Final Order fell in Exogol, I’m sure that some were able to escape.”

Finn spoke up then, “We have been able to round up a great number of Stormtroopers as well as a few generals and higher-ups. For the regular troopers, I’ve been working on a reintegration program for them. I hope to undo all that was done by Hux’s father. For the higher-ups, they’ll be facing their own trials and have their sentences given to them.”

Rey gave Finn an encouraging smile. She knew how important it was for him to offer them a chance, just as he was given a chance once, to be different, to leave behind the influence of the First Order and defy all they’ve known since birth. “I’m sure you’ll do fine.”

Poe cut in, “So this is what we have right now. Going back to the meeting, we’re expecting all these representatives to come in tomorrow and it would benefit us to have you present, Rey.”

Rey scowled, “I told you that I’m not one for politics.”

“I’m not asking you to speak in our name. Just be present in the room while we all speak. I’m sure it would be reassuring for them to know that the savior of the galaxy is backing us up and wants peace.”

“You know a Jedi should not involve themselves in politics,” Rey replied weakly, hoping that he would just drop the whole subject.

“Rey, please. We could really use you.”

Rey nibbled on her bottom lip for a while before sighing in acquiesce, “I won’t say a word.”

“Fine.”

“And,” Rey points at the girl, “She sits with me too.”

“Uhh, no.” Poe quickly replies,” The kid can stay here while you’re here, but she can’t sit in with you. This meeting is crucial.”

“She sits in or I won’t.”

Poe threw his hands up in frustration, “Rey, this is not up for negotiation!”

The others in the room realized that the tension was climbing steadily, and each one jumped in to try and quell Rey and Poe. The chorus of voices grew in volume, making it nearly impossible to differentiate between each one. This continued for a few minutes until the girl suddenly stood up and slammed her hands on the table, the hologram flickering briefly at the force of her hands and instantly silencing all of the people in the room. “I’m sure that you could appreciate having things fall in your favor. Your meeting would benefit greatly from knowing that not only the Jedi responsible for stopping Palpatine is backing up the resistance, but that she’s taken on a student and the Jedi order will be revived once more. Wouldn’t you agree?” she glanced over at Poe, her hazel eyes steady.

Poe and the girl engaged in a staring contest for several seconds, neither willing to yield to the other. Finn once again clasped Poe’s shoulder, grabbing his attention, “She’s right you know. We could use this to help us.”

Poe raked a hand through his hair again in frustration, “Fine, but she stays seated and does not utter one word.”

Rey nodded, “She _and_ I will just be present, and we will not speak one word.”

“Fine.”

“Fine.”

“Finn, go show them where they can stay.”

Finn shared a glance at Poe, clearly showing his disapproval at Poe’s behavior but said nothing, instead motioning at Rey and the girl to follow him. The three left the room, leaving the others behind to continue their discussion in private.

As soon as they were out of earshot, Rey spoke up, “I forgot how much of a kriffing idiot Poe could be.”

“Don’t say that,” Finn sighed, “it’s been a difficult time for everyone, Poe especially, since he’s now basically the name and face of this new movement. It’s been a lot of stress.”

“You’re awfully defensive of him, Finn.”

Finn just sighed inn response, lapsing back into silence as he led them back to the elevators. Seven floors down and they ended up on what Finn labeled as the Resistance Quarters, moving down the main hallway and ignoring the branching hallways down to the tenth door on the left. The door opened automatically and revealed a fairly modest room, the walls and floors were white, with a bunk bed at the right wall, a table and chair situated right beside the bed and a dresser situated at the left wall. There wasn’t much room to move and Rey was surprised, as she had expected the rooms to be bigger.

“Since it’s a temporary situation, we’re just making due with what we have,” Finn said by way of explanation.

Rey nodded in response and moved into the room, the girl following behind her. She turned around to see Finn still standing at the doorway, a conflicted look on his face. “About Poe…”

Rey held a hand up to stop him, “I’d rather not talk about it right now, Finn.” He seemed ready to argue with her again so she continued, “We’re pretty tired, and it’s been a long day, maybe we can pick back up on this later?”

Thankfully, he let the matter drop, sparing Rey from having to figure out another excuse or potentially starting an argument with Finn; which was something she didn’t think she could handle right now. “Okay,” he replied, “The mess hall is another three floors down. Dinner should be out in another 4 hours.”

Rey nodded, a tiny placating smile on her face that she hoped was more convincing than she felt it was, “Great, see you then.”

Finn turned and quickly left the room, the door sliding closed behind him and leaving the two women alone. The girl sat down heavily on the bottom bunk with a loud sigh, “Is this what politics are like? I had no idea it could be so exasperating. How do you manage?”

Rey gave the girl an amused glance, “I don’t. Not usually. There used to be someone else who would take the reins. She was a natural leader.”

“Where is she now?”

Her amused look turned sad, “With the Force.”

“Oh,” the girl looked away guiltily.

“You didn’t know.”

“Still, I shouldn’t have asked. My mouth sometimes lands me in more trouble than I can handle. I should have learned this lesson by now.”

“Then by the sound of it, we’ll get along just fine.” The girl quickly looked back at Rey, who simply shrugged in response, “I’ve been told I’m hard-headed once or twice.”

The girl grinned in response, “Then I look forward to working together, ummm,” the girl chewed at her bottom lip in contemplation, “What should I call you then? Master?”

Rey cringed at the title, “No, just Rey is fine.”

The girl beamed, “Alright then, just Rey. What do we do now?”

“Now?” Rey held a mischievous glint in her eye “now we go to make an escape.”

“Where to?”

“You’ll see.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please remember to feed my muse. Comments are very much loved <33


	10. Shadows

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're finally moving towards filling some plot holes!

How they managed to slip by, Rey will never know. She had imagined that Poe would have them on lock down and unable to leave, her distrust in him growing the more she interacted with him. Part of her tried to rationalize it, taking into consideration Finn’s words, but part of her resented him. She couldn’t help it, despite them being comrades in arms, even potential _friends_ , she felt that her status as a Jedi would forever alienate her from the rest. They could never know her, they could never understand the burden of being a Jedi.

Still, she was grateful that her suspicions of Poe trying to keep them under his watch were unfounded. They went back up to the landing pads and take the Millennium Falcon with little to no resistance. They were able to quickly take to the sky and, with the coordinates given by Isam, made their way over to their destination.

The sight that greeted them stole their breaths away. It was a massive structure, possibly over a kilometer tall, if not more. Distinctive compared to the other buildings that they’ve seen thus far, old and weathered down by war. The surrounding cityscape seemed small and insignificant in comparison. The building had one unique feature; aside from its clear age it was instantly recognizable by its distinctive crown of five spires.

Rey landed the ship as close as possible without potentially damaging any of the surroundings. The bridge lowered and the two occupants quickly disembarked, the girl gaping at the building. “What is this?”

“According to your father, this is one of the old Jedi temples. Can you feel it?”

The girl closed her eyes in concentration for several minutes before opening them again to look at Rey, “I feel something flowing around us. Is that the force?”

“Yes, this area appears to be attuned to it.”

“And what we’re looking for is in there?”

“According to your father, yes.”

“Did it mention specifically where? It’s a fairly large structure.”

“No, it didn’t.”

“Well, good thing we have time to look then.”

With that, they lapsed into silence, making their way up to the entrance. The temple bared scars, a burnt husk of its former self, a testament to fighting the Empire. The two walked up the massive stairs, following the pathway to the entrance where four statues stood, two that appeared to be warriors and two sages.

The two walked through the entryway and were greeted by a grand sight. Large, winding hallways outlined by tall columns and a ceiling that stretched far above them. The material appeared to be made of strong stone, almost marble-like in its appearance. Parts of the walls were eroded away, cracks winding down and splitting off into branches along the surface of the wall. Some of the pillars were untouched while others partly unscathed or became piles of rubble.

They followed the main hallways, admiring the architecture and the sheer size of the whole temple. It was moments after where the girl paused in her walking to glance at Rey. “Where do we even start?”

Rey pursed her lips in thought, “We could start with whatever rooms we walk by first and make our way down.”

The girl nodded, veering off to the right were a smaller hallway led to several rooms. Rey herself continued onwards; pausing at every room to peek inside, her hopes diminishing a little more every time her sight was met with another empty, ransacked room.

They continued this pattern moving down, Rey following the main hallway while the girl would explore the smaller hallways that branched off. Rey noted that the rooms were stripped of any identifying markers of a Jedi temple. Ancient mosaics, tapestries, and paintings were long removed. The walls and plinths of the expansive corridors were left bare of statues and other art pieces, though some banquet chambers were draped with Imperial flags and banners, weathered by age or singed from a blaster fire. There was no history to follow, nothing that she or the girl could potentially learn of the Jedi left here, and it left a hollow feeling within her.

Rey was quickly starting to realize that _she_ was the absolute last of the Jedi, and with that came the burden of guiding, of _teaching,_ this girl and passing on the Jedi ways. How was she supposed to manage that? She barely felt passable as a Jedi as it was; and the circumstances of the knowledge she gained was unique and rare. Her mind wandered back to the memory of a holding cell and an interrogation table, and the first time his mind linked with hers, taking from her while at the same time she unknowingly was taking from him in turn. Her knowledge of the force started as stolen memories, taken by a man who she first believed to be a monster, taking and adapting it just like the scavenger she is.

A lot of herself, who she was now, she could only attribute to Ben. It may have started with her finding BB-8 ensnared by a Teedo scavenger, but the bulk of her start in this path, the majority of her knowledge of the Force, it began with Ben.

Funny how a lot of things that have occurred to her since she left Jakku were linked to him.

Which brought her back to her concerns regarding her new role. Maker, how was she to manage with teaching someone? Especially when she had never been taught as a conventional Jedi Padawan? Luke and Leia were good teachers, but they were not prime examples for her to follow. ‘ _You need a teacher’_ , the words echoed in her mind, _‘I can show you the ways of the Force.’_ A small part of her had always wondered what would have happened had she taken his offer. She quickly shoved that thought away into the back of her mind.

“Something wrong?”

Rey turned around to meet with hazel eyes who looked at her in curiosity and concern. “Nothing,” she lied.

“Oh, it doesn’t look like nothing.”

“It’s nothing. Really.”

“Your lip.”

“What?”

“You keep biting on your lip when you’re nervous.”

Rey instantly stopped, her teeth releasing her bottom lip, “Oh, I didn’t know,” she glanced away, “it’s really nothing. Just thinking about how we’re going to find this thing.”

“Oh, okay.”

They continued downwards, finding much of the same with every floor. Eventually, the pair made it to the bottom of the temple, running through the rooms found there and finally landed on the last room.

“Nothing,” the girl groaned, leaning against the wall and tilting her face up towards the ceiling. “We’ve spent _hours_ here and found nothing,” she closed her eyes, “maybe we were too late. Maybe it’s been taken.”

Rey nibbled at her lower lip, “It can’t be. I’m sure there must be something.”

“Where?!” the girl cried out in exasperation, “we’ve searched every room and there’s absolutely _nothing_!”

Rey frowned, “Calm down…”

“No!” the girl cut Rey off, “I can’t calm down! This could have given me answers about my mother, I could have finally had closure! I don’t even remember her! I try to think but all I see is a blur! I...” a choked hiccup escaped her, “I just wanted answers!” she stomps her foot on the ground.

A pulse resonated throughout the room, and a tingle raced down Rey’s spine, the hairs on the back of her neck standing up at the flowing energy that surrounded them. It took her a moment to realize that the Force was feeding from the girl, taking her emotions and amplifying it. Rey’s eyes widened, her ears catching the sounds of stone scraping against stone. She whirled around, almost giving herself whiplash at the action, and caught the last of the middle section of stone wall behind her that had been lined with imperial banners disappear; revealing a set of stairs leading downwards.

They both stayed in stunned silence, simply watching the staircase while a foreboding feeling gripped them tightly. Rey concentrated and felt the Force curl around her but farther down towards the staircase she sensed a shift. The feelings of centeredness and peace gave way to increasing feelings of fear and anger. A shaky breath escaped her lips as she whispered, “The Sith.”

“What?”

Rey didn’t elaborate further, the hairs on the back of her neck standing up at the increasing feeling of darkness the more she focused on it. “Here,” she muttered, pulling out a LPA NN-14 Blaster Pistol and handing it over to the girl, “keep this on you, and do not shoot unless I tell you.”

The girl’s eyes were wide, staring down at the blaster in her hands before looking back at Rey, “I never used one of these before.”

Rey glanced over to the girl for a quick moment, noticing her apprehension, before focusing back on the new pathway before them, “Don’t worry, hopefully you won’t need it. But hold onto it just in case. And keep your voice down,” she nodded towards the staircase, “I don’t know what’s down there but better to be safe.”

The girl nodded, realizing Rey couldn’t see her and whispers an, “okay” before coming up behind Rey.

Rey began walking towards the staircase, her hand grabbing her lightsaber from her belt and holding it in a comforting grip. The white marble and stone gave way to black, the lights barely illuminating the stairs. The two made their descent, Rey continuously maintaining her focus on the Force and maintaining herself calm in the meanwhile; ignoring the dark thoughts and feelings that continually pushed against her mental walls.

It shouldn’t be possible. This was supposed to be a Jedi temple, a place of light. Yet the proof in front of her was unmistakable. Below a Jedi temple laid a Sith one, and by the looks of it, this was way older than the Jedi temple that was right above them. The fact that so much darkness remained meant that where they must be sitting on top of a nexus. Rey wished that she had more knowledge about the temples, the nexus, and more knowledge of the Jedi and Sith in general aside from their alignments. So much history lost to time that Rey hoped she could one day recover and pass on. 

She felt the girl stiffen from behind and looked back, seeing the girl’s face contorted in pain. “Rey, I hear voices,” she whispered, “they keep telling me things. I’m afraid.”

Rey reached out and grabbed the girl’s hand, “Breathe, keep your mind centered on calm thoughts. Ignore the dark completely.” The girl nodded, taking several deep breathes. Rey noticed the crease between the girl’s eyebrows lessen until eventually it smoothed out, and her eyes opened once more. “Good,” Rey praised, before letting go and continuing downwards. 

The bottom of the stairs led to an open room, various sigils lining the walls. Tall, imposing statues lined the walls and a giant Imperial banner hung at the back center of the room. A pedestal was directly in the middle, with a pointy object sticking out from it. Rey and the girl drew closer, taking in the various chains that hung from above and the red glow that surrounded them. Upon reaching the pedestal, Rey’s eyes widened in recognition of the object that appeared to be imbedded right into the pedestal. She had only seen it once before, upon the ruins of a fallen death star, but she could easily recognize the pyramid-shaped object anywhere.

“A Sith holocron,” Rey whispered.

The girl stopped right beside Rey, looking at the object in confusion, “What is that?”

“A key to information,” Rey replied, her hand reaching out to pull the object, frowning when the holocron wouldn’t budge, “but I don’t know how to pull it out. Maybe it won’t respond to me, we might need to find another way to extract it.”

The girl reached out, her hand gripping the holocron, Rey was about to scold her to remove her hand until she was stopped by the sight of the holocron glowing red, flickering a few times before an audible click was heard and the girl was able to pull put the holocron from where it was imbedded.

Rey felt confusion and concern, questioning how the holocron responded to the girl so easily, but a sound from behind them had her freeze, her fingers moving to hover over the ignite switch of her lightsaber, “Ready your weapon, set it to stun” she whispered to the girl.

Rey heard the girl take a small, shaky breath before she heard the telltale click of the weapon being set into its non-lethal option. Rey’s eyes darted back and forth, sweeping over the room and mentally cursing at how the dim lighting made it more difficult to see movement. Rey closed her eyes and breathed, focusing on the sounds around her. She heard a few clicks and quickly reached out, calling the force to her and pushing it outwards. Rey opens her eyes in time to see several blaster bolts suspended in mid-air and hear the sharp intake of breath from the girl behind her.

Several figures step out from their positions behind the statues and pillars, their figures and faces hidden under dark hooded robes. They drew closer, Rey counted at least five of them, and realized with increasing horror that they were familiar, _eerily_ so. “It can’t be,” Rey whispered.

“It’s _her_!”

“The Jedi!”

“Kill her, appease the master!”

The figures whispered furiously, their blasters trained at Rey. She wasted no time, pulling and directing the force to push the blaster bolts back to their owners. She heard the hiss of two, the ones that were right in front of them, their bodies slumping to the ground.

Clearly, their weapons were set to kill.

The remaining three began blasting, Rey struggling to stop and redirect the bolts away from her and the girl. She flicked her lightsaber on, the golden glow of the blade bathing the room in brightness. The figures recoiled at the sight, giving Rey the opportunity to sprint into action.

She quickly dashed to the left, jumping in the air and swinging her saber down in an arc of golden light. The blade connected, the hissing sound ringing out as the laser edge connecting with flesh. The person didn’t even have a chance to react, instantly dying to the mortal wound.

More blaster fire rung out from her right, and Rey swung around in time to deflect the blaster fire from the one that was just ahead of her line of sight. The person lunged towards Rey, and she barely noticed the sheen of metal being pulled from within their robes before their arm swung out towards her. Rey shifted over to the side, the weapon still slicing at her left upper arm but thankfully missing its intended target. She hissed in pain, clutching at arm shoulder briefly and feeling the wet slick of blood trickling down.

Using their sudden proximity, Rey swung out at the being, her left arm muscles clenching in pain at the movement but she ignored it, focusing solely on her target. It wasn’t as clean a hit as the others, but she completed her objective. The persons let out a gargled noise, blood spewing from their mouth and they clutched at their throat, the angry line of red highly visible. They attempted to stop the bleeding, a losing battle, before falling to their knees and crumbling to the ground in a blooding heap.

Rey was barely able to get a breath in when a scream from her right reached her ears. Her head shot up just in time to see the last assailant attempt a lunge towards the girl, who instantly brought her arm out in front of her, as if to protect herself. The hooded figure halted in mid-air, struggling against an invisible power and all Rey could register was that the girl was doing it again, calling on the force instinctively.

But, Rey furrowed her eyebrows, something was wrong. As she focused more on the energy surrounding the girl, she could sense that the once pure pulse of power start to become tinged in darkness. An ear-splitting scream was pulled from the last hooded being, and Rey snapped her attention back towards them in time for a gasp of shock to leave her lips.

The visual that greeted her was just as gruesome as the sounds. Limbs were contorted in ways they should not be, accompanied by the sounds of bones fracturing and splitting into pieces. Rey glanced back over to the girl to see that her eyes were still closed in fear, and she realized that the girl had no idea what she was doing at this moment. “Stop!” Rey yelled, startling the girl who looked to Rey before looking back at the assailant, her eyes wide in fear and a sharp scream leaving her. She clutches her hands to herself, and the assailant falls to a twitching heap, ragged breaths and groans of pain leaving them. “I don’t…I just….” The girl stuttered, her head shaking in fear and denial, “I didn’t _mean_ to…!”

“Take a deep breath,” Rey gently instructs, hoping that her calm voice will help bring the girls focus back to her.

“I…I…argh!!” the girl screamed, clutching her head in her hands and falling to her knees.

“What’s wrong?!” Rey asked, moving quickly to the girl’s side while turning off her lightsaber, kneeling besides her and laying a hand on the girls shoulder, shaking her slightly, “tell me what’s wrong.”

The girl’s body is shaking, screams escaping her while she curls in on herself, almost as if trying to shield herself from whatever unknown thing was hurting her. “The voices, make them stop. Please, Rey, make them go away!”

Rey froze, the girl’s words echoing through her mind and reminding her of Ben. The _voices_ , was all that Rey could think of, remembering of the voices that once haunted Ben. She couldn’t do this, she couldn’t allow the girl to fall. “Ignore it!” Rey cried desperately, both hands now on the girls shoulder, shaking her repeatedly, “Do you hear me? Push it away!”

The girl shook her head, “I can’t! Please! I don’t want to do it!”

“What? What do they want you to do?!”

The girls eyes open, and Rey is met with a familiar sight. Hazel eyes with golden flecks glimmering within them. The girl blinks once, twice, three times in confusion, staring over Rey’s shoulder at some unknown point, “Please,” she whispered, “please make them go away.”

Rey looked over at the girl, seeing that it was impossible to wake her form whatever trance she was in. She realized that her eyes were slowly being overtaken, yellow seeping into and mixing with the hazel more and more. In a moment of blind panic, Rey quickly reaches out and calls to the force, pleading once more to stop whatever is happening and to spare the girl from whatever pain she is experiencing. Deja vu washes over Rey when she sees the girls eyes roll back before she slumps to the ground, her breaths evening out in sleep.

Rey lets out a sigh of relief and allows her body to finally relax for a moment, glancing around to see the resulting carnage. The sense of déjà vu only increased, her mind instantly comparing this moment to the one back on Tatooine; in the dark cave that was littered with the mangled bodies of Tuscan raiders.

Events are repeating themselves all over again, and Rey feels more and more helpless to stop it. How was she meant to guide this girl, especially when she’s already been touched by the darkside? How did she even know to do that ability? Rey herself had not become well-versed in using the force until after she had her first fated meeting with Ben, where she absorbed his knowledge for herself.

_"Alter is the third and most difficult area of powers to master, for it involves the student's ability to modify the Force and redistribute its energies.”_

Rey let out a breath at the sound of the voice, “Then how does the girl know about it? She is nowhere near experienced enough to use that technique.” She looked up in time to see a woman stand before her, her body completely covered by her robes and head covering except for her face; it was a striking green that accentuated the royal blue of her eyes, and small black, geometric tattoos that started from the bottom of her lower lip and ended at her chin. This was Rey’s first time seeing her, but she knew who it was, her force signature was familiar to her, “Master Luminara.”

Luminara inclined her head towards Rey before turning her attention back to the unconscious girl on the floor, _“Many non-trained Force-sensitives have stumbled upon this group of powers accidentally, usually resulting in disastrous events. Untamed, these Force powers can cause mass chaos, as the art of manipulating other objects must be perfected and honed."_

“So the girl needs to be trained,” Rey concluded.

Master Luminara nodded, _“That was the purpose of the Jedi Order; to teach young Padawans the ways of the force.”_

Rey sighed, fingers moving to brush red hair away from the girl’s face, an act that was starting to become strangely familiar, “How am I supposed to train her? I don’t even know how to begin.”

_“It’s all an ever-flowing circle; each aspect of being a Jedi feeding into the other.”_

“What do you mean?”

Master Luminara shifted her gaze over to the lightsaber that laid in Rey’s hand, _“The crystal is the heart of the blade. The heart is the crystal of the Jedi. The Jedi is the crystal of the force. The force is the blade of the heart. All are intertwined. The crystal, the blade, the Jedi”_

Rey seemed to be even more confused by her vague responses and if anything, it seemed to cause a smile to spread across Master Luminara’s face, _“Start with the basics, Master Rey. Let her grow and learn the ways of the Jedi, come into her own. Only then, could you hope to avert what you have seen.”_

Rey felt it again, the slight tremble in the force signaling that her visitor was able to leave. “Wait,” Rey called out, “where do I start?” She turned just in time to see the stutter of the blue aura encasing her form, her features beginning to dim. Just before Master Luminara left completely, Rey heard the echo of her reply bounce off the walls of the dark room.

_"The light. Find the light, Rey."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please feed my muse with comments <3


	11. Return to Base and Finding some Answers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This COVID-19 situation has turned much of my work life upside down. As I work as a Foster Care Supervisor in a non-profit, I am considered an "essential worker" and with more and more changes coming from the state and country, it has made my agency make and then amend their plans on how to handle this.
> 
> Which means my life has been very...interesting and busy this week.
> 
> Thankfully, this chapter was already typed out but it has been quite a journey to get here. Hope you all enjoy!

The return to the resistance base was quiet, ending in a tense and awkward reunion with the Resistance members themselves.

Rey was able to hoist the girl onto her shoulder, using the force to help alleviate some of the weight that she was carrying. For the most part, the ride back was peaceful; although Rey had been on the lookout for another potential ambush as she made her escape. Thankfully no such thing happened and she returned without incident. It was dark by the time that Rey returned, though no stars lined the night sky, not with the near infinite amount of lights that shone out of the countless windows from all of the tall skyscraper-like buildings.

It was when she landed that she felt herself on edge again. Poe and the others reacted at Rey’s return with the unconscious girl in a myriad of ways; from suspicious to concern to confusion and anything that fell in between.

Poe himself started his interrogation as soon as Rey landed, asking about her whereabouts and, _why was the girl knocked out_ , and, _what do you mean you went to the Jedi temple and were ambushed_?!

Rey steadfastly ignored all of his questions, bringing the girl back to the room that they were in and onto the bottom bunk bed so she could rest comfortably.

Finn hovered behind them, standing awkwardly at the entrance of the door and Rey heaved a sigh before motioning for him to enter. Once he did, the door finally slid shut once more, cutting them away from any passerby’s that would have wanted to hear in. He glanced from the girl to Rey, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand before saying, “So, do you think it’s Palpatine?”

“No,” Rey replied, though her voice lacked certainty, “It can’t be, Finn. I saw it, I _felt_ him disappear in the Force.”

“It wouldn’t be the first time that everyone has thought him dead, Rey.”

“It doesn’t matter, Finn. I refuse to think he’s still alive,” Rey replied, her anger rising at the thought. Because Palaptine being alive would mean that all those who have been lost have not been avenged. It would mean that their sacrifices were for nothing. It would mean that Ben….

No.

“Rey,” Finn began, sounding a lot closer than before. Rey turned just in time to see him place a hand on her shoulder, possibly as a way to offer comfort, “Look, I’m just trying to explore the possibilities. If Palpatine is dead, then why are any of his remaining followers still after you? It would make more sense for them to retreat and recover.”

“I don’t know for sure if they are.”

Finn looked skeptical, “Rey, you mentioned they wore black robes. And I remember that that’s what the Sith Eternal wore when we surveyed Exogol. Kriff that practically screams darksider.”

Rey frowned, knowing that his answer was logical but it wasn’t helping to lessen her growing doubts. She glanced back over to the girl, who was still in deep slumber, “She was hearing voices.”

“What?”

“Right before I put her into a Force Sleep,” Rey clarified, “she was screaming about voices in her head.”

“What does that mean?”

Rey looking back towards Finn, her lips set in a firm line, “It means that whoever is behind this is probably a very strong Force user.”

“Did you sense anything when it was happening?”

“No,” she replied, her lips turning down in a frown, “which makes no sense.”

“Well, Palpatine did well hiding for years.”

“Or maybe he had apprentices. Or maybe something we missed in Exogol…”

“Rey,” Finn gently interrupted, “There was nothing left behind there. We checked. All of the clones of Snoke were destroyed. There were no living bodies. The only one we couldn’t account for wa-“

“No,” Rey firmly said, knowing where his statement was leading towards. What he was implying.

“Rey, he’s the only other one capable of it. And you never told us what happened back there. What if he escaped, he could be hiding out in-”

“Finn,” Rey interrupted a bit louder than she intended but, she couldn’t help it. She couldn’t help the rising anger that simmered beneath the surface. It wasn’t fair, she knew her anger was displaced. That Finn and no one else knew the actual events that occurred in Exogol. They didn’t know that Ben had turned, that he stood by her, gave his _life_ for her.

But, no matter how irritated she was at their disparaging remarks, she could not bring herself to tell them the truth. It felt too much like exposing an intimate secret part of her life, opening her up for prodding and poking from her well-meaning friends and companions without them realizing that they would be picking at her loneliness, at her grief.

And she wasn’t sure how she would react to anyone knowing of those parts of her.

Especially when they only one that ever really knew and understood her, the true her, was Ben.

“Just…stop.”

Finn opened his mouth, apparently ready to argue, but probably heard the defeated tone of her voice and appeared to think better of it, remaining silent instead. The tension between them was palpable and for a moment Rey felt guilt about how she was readily pushing Finn away. She opened her mouth to apologize when a small groan drew both of their attention to its source. The girl twitched and her head lolled to the other side, her eyes scrunched before slowly blinking open. The girl’s eyes met Rey’s and her mouth fell slightly open, confusion clouding her features as she croaked out, “Rey?”

Rey offered a reassuring smile, “Hey, how are you feeling?”

“My body hurts.”

“I can imagine. You did take a pretty hard fall…how much do you remember?” Rey asked, wondering if anything has changed between the first time that she was put under a Force Sleep and now.

The girl scrunched her face in concentration, “I just remember the people with the cloaks, and them shooting…then nothing.” The girl looked at Rey, “what did I do?”

Finn looked at the girl incredulously, “You mean you don’t remember practically turning a guy into a-“

“ _Finn._ ”

He stopped, and at least had the decency to appear repentant for what he almost let slip in his moment of shock. The girl glanced between them, confused about the exchange and a bit anxious about what was left unsaid, “Rey?”

Rey offered a small smile in response, “its fine. Let’s just…try to not use your Force abilities for a while. At least until you’re properly trained.”

The girls eyebrows drew together, casting a calculating gaze at Rey, “It was bad, wasn’t it?”

“Its fine,” Rey answered, attempting to placate her fears.

The girl didn’t appear convinced but let the matter drop, moving to sit on the bed while being mindful of her head not bumping against the bottom of the top bunk, and moved to the next topic that was on her mind, “What about the holocron?”

Rey shifted her upper body over to the side to access the pouch that rested against her left hip, her hand digging inside to pull out the pyramid-shaped item.

“Is that what I think it is?” Finn asked from the side, moving to better see the item that sat innocently in her palm.

Rey nodded, her voice lowering as she regards the object in her hand, “A Sith Holocron.”

All three looked at the seemingly inoffensive object, each person with varying levels of curiosity and wariness.

“How does it work?” the girl inquired, looking up at Rey as she asked.

“I’m not sure,” Rey admitted quietly, “The only time I had to use one it was already hooked to the ship. I didn’t have to do anything.”

“Can I see it?”

Rey glanced at the girl skeptically, “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

The girl pursed her lips, “Why not?”

“You’re not properly trained.”

The girl crossed her arms over her chest, looking just like a petulant child, “I can handle it.”

“No, you can’t” Rey replied easily, her gaze trained back on the holocron; staring at the ancient hieroglyphics that surely spoke of dark incantations that lined the smooth, glass-like surface. “Finn?” she heard him grunt in reply before continuing, “Do you think we can have access to the hologram projector in that conference room?”

He hummed before he answered, “It should be fine. But I’m going with you.”

Rey already felt ready to argue but bit her tongue against it, her need of finding out what the holocron had hidden overriding her other need to keep Finn far away from all of this, forcing her retort back down and nodding once in reply.

Maybe they could finally have answers.

* * *

Finn remained blessedly quiet throughout the trip back to the conference room though she could feel him cast furtive looks her way. The room was dark and quiet, which was easily remedied by Finn pressing a switch on the wall; bathing the big room in a flood of bright white artificial lights which made it look clinical and sterile like; almost reminding her of the time she was in the first order ships.

Impersonal and Cold.

Rey ignored that train of thought as well as the increasing anticipation and dread building in her stomach which threatened to spill over. There shouldn’t be any reason to panic. She had faced Palpatine, for Makers sake, she could face whatever secrets were hidden within the holocron.

Still, despite her mental assurance, it didn’t stop the shaky exhale of breath as she positioned and then lowered the holocron over the square indent in the middle of the table. It clicked into place and Rey stepped back, extended her arm out and closing her eyes, bringing the will of the Force to the forefront. The swell of power surrounded her and she mentally commanded it to open, and to reveal whatever information was contained within. She stayed poised that way for several seconds, waiting for the telltale click of the holocron being opened, waiting for the flicker of light and the projected image of whoever was stored in the cube to appear.

Nothing.

_Nothing._

Rey furrowed her eyebrows, pushing forth more of the power of the Force, this time in a more demanding command.

_Open._

There was nothing, clicking sound, no light. Absolutely nothing. If anything, the holocron was pushing against Rey and her attempts to unlock it. Rey opened her eyes, “I don’t understand.”

Finn glanced between her and the holocron, “is it not opening for you?”

“No.”

“Then, does that mean that we’re stuck?”

Rey pursed her lips, “No, there must be another way,” she mumbled.

“Maybe I can do it?”

Rey’s gaze shot over toward the girl, “No,” she firmly replied.

The girl crossed her arms over her chest, “Why not? Rey, if this is what we were meant to find then this means that the holocron was meant for me. It probably means I’m the one to open it,” she replied evenly and Rey hated the fact that, despite the girl going against Rey’s thoughts, she _was_ right. It could very well be that she is the key in opening the holocron. But Rey still hesitated, being well aware that the holocron can only be used by those who reside within the dark side of the Force.

The girl was untrained and she could easily fall to the dark; she has done it twice already. Maybe Rey could tap into it, just enough to force it open. It could be easy, maybe _too_ easy and that was the issue. Because while Rey has had moments where she’s lapsed into that side, she is afraid of what could happen should she fall again. Because this time, there is no Luke or Leia that could stop her.

Because this time, there is no Ben to keep her tethered, to keep her balanced.

But should the girl tap into it, Rey could easily stop her; put her under another force sleep. It was extremely risky, and yet…

“Okay,” Rey breathed, and before the girl could get carried away in her excitement she added, “but first we’re going to have you practice calling on the force and maintain a hold on it.”

The girl nodded eagerly, quickly following Rey’s instructions to sit on the floor cross-legged and begin take deep breathes. “Relax and focus,” Rey began, standing off to the side of the girl and watching as she took in slow, measured breaths. “What do you know about the force?”

“It’s a power. Jedi use it and can make things move, like rocks, and do other things.”

“Wrong,” Rey replied, “the force is not a power you have. It’s not about lifting rocks. It’s the energy between all things; a tension, a balance that binds the universe together.”

The words were familiar, too well known. They easily echoed within her mind and memories, unbidden and unwanted, came to the surface. Images of a planet full of greenery and an ocean the deepest blue she had ever seen. Of an old and weathered Master Jedi who once shunned the Force only to later teach it and embrace it. Memories of a younger her, just barely understanding her place in the galaxy and her role within it. Rey pushed those thoughts to the side, decidedly focusing on the girl who nodded, her expression one of concentration.

“Okay,” she said, “then what is it?”

“Close your eyes,” Rey paused while the girl did so, “breathe. Now, reach out.” She felt a slight twitch of amusement at watching the girl extend her left hand outwards, realizing how silly _she_ must’ve looked like back then. But contrary to her master, Rey decided to quickly clarify rather than tease the girl, “No, I mean with your feelings.” The girl frowned but followed instruction, her hand coming back down to rest in her lap while she continued to take breathes. Rey leaned slightly forward, her voice lowering to a whisper, “Now, what do you see?”

Although the girl had her eyes closed, Rey could see the movement of them behind her eyelids, and the girl opened her mouth slightly in what Rey assumed was confusion and wonder, “I see…”

“What?” Rey pressed on.

The girl scrunched her face, “I see the land…the people? Millions of people but also life; the planet full of _life_. But also…” the girl frowned, “death. Death is here as well...” The girl paused again and Rey wondered briefly if maybe the girl is able to see the actual images of the things she was describing just as she had when Luke was instructing her. “A cycle, life to death to bring new life. Hot…cold. I see peace, but, there’s also violence. Opposites, existing together, clashing.”

“And between it all?”

“I see balance…equilibrium…a force keeping both sides in synergy.”

“What about in you.”

The girl concentrated, and slowly a serene smile graced her lips, “the same force is in me.”

“Your first lesson, the force is not something that belongs to anyone. It is in everyone, in everything, and to claim it to be yours, to wield it as a weapon is vain and will be your undoing.”

“Rey?”

“What is it?”

“You,” the girl paused, opening her hazel eyes to meet Rey’s own, “I can see you, but it’s not as bright. Somethings missing.”

Rey sucked in a sharp breath, her heart picking up speed at hearing the girl’s words, “That’s enough for now, let’s move on.”

The girl opened her mouth, possibly to argue and push on with her inquiry, but seemed to notice the third party in the room and maintained her mouth shut, for which Rey was grateful. “Are we going to try and open it now?”

“Yes, stay as you are and breathe. When you’re centered you can extend your arm out, call the Force to you and let it know what you would like to do.”

The girl closed her eyes once more, extending her right hand out towards the holocron and maintained slow, steady breaths. Rey could hear slight whispers of “ _please,”_ from her; barely audible but there. Rey waited with bated breath, the seconds ticking by and for a moment she began to doubt this idea...

A click.

Rey’s eyes snapped over to the holocron, watching as the device whirred and the tip of the pyramid rotated. The device hovered, mere inches from where it was placed, and the other four tips at the base also slowly rotated, clicking into place. She heard a hiss, and the holocron began to hum. The girl must have heard it too, because her eyes opened and she let out a slight gasp. “Maintain your focus,” Rey quickly instructed, watching as the holocron was activated, and a burst of red light came from it.

The image of a person appeared, a woman. She was human, older than Rey, and appeared to be in her 30s. She had pale skin and bright, hazel eyes. Her hair was red, with a silver streak that ran down a section at the top of her head, the red color was certainly not near the near dark crimson of the girl a few feet away; but even were it black there was no mistaking the similarities. The woman’s face was worn, reminiscent of Luke and Leia, clearly weighed down by something. The shocked gasp from the girl only confirmed Rey’s suspicions of who exactly this was.

The girl’s mother.

The woman’s eyes appeared to scan the room before landing right on the girl, and Rey had to remind herself that the woman could not see anyone, that this was pre-recorded just as the Jedi holocrons are.

Unlike the girl, however, the woman before them held eyes that were cold and hardened. “The fact that this holocron was found and opened can only mean that it is you who could have opened it,” she began, her voice tinged with roughness as she spoke, “You are, after all, of my blood. Unless a particularly powerful Sith lord managed to find this; although I couldn’t begin to fathom why they would visit desolate ruins. But no,” the woman paused to shake her head, “I know it’s you. And I can only hope this means that you walk the correct path, with a teacher to guide you. And that there is still some possibility for the galaxy.”

Rey and the girl each glanced towards one another at the same time, Rey holding a look of concentration while the girl held one of confusion. The woman continued, “There is much that must be said but to learn you must learn of my path, and of your roots and history. With each step made, you will know more and knowledge is the greatest weapon one can wield in the face of battle. I will divulge a little now and end with coordinates to the next area. Once it registers in the holocron then I will provide more information.”

“What will you tell us now, mother?” Rey heard the girl whisper but didn’t look, too focused on the hologram before them.

“I will be brief. If you have found this that means I am dead, and that you’ve come seeking answers. I can also sense from your memories that Palpatine has made his entrance and exited as swiftly as he came.”

That gave Rey pause, she had always been under the assumption that holocrons were merely databases of memory. Could it be that SIth holocrons were different somehow? Or was it possible that some holocrons were made differently? Many questions were within Rey’s mind but they took a pause when she heard the woman continue.

“I believe that to understand things you must learn of how they began. When I was a child, I was orphaned. Alone, with no family to speak of. And then I was taken in but that story will be shared another time. It was when I was given a home, I learned of a story. And that’s where this all begins.”

All three occupants remained stock still. The room deathly silent save for the hum of the holocron.

The woman closed her eyes briefly before she glanced back towards the girl once more, “The tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise. It's not a story the Jedi would tell you. It's a Sith legend. Darth Plagueis was a Dark Lord of the Sith, so powerful and so wise he could use the Force to influence the midichlorians to create life... He had such a knowledge of the dark side that he could even keep the ones he cared about from dying. The dark side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be unnatural. He became so powerful... the only thing he was afraid of was losing his power, which eventually, of course, he did. Unfortunately, he taught his apprentice everything he knew, then his apprentice killed him in his sleep. It's ironic he could save others from death, but not himself.”

Rey frowned, thinking back to all the Jedi texts that she’s read only to realize that the woman was right. She had never heard of this tale.

“Palpatine, or rather Darth Sidious, was of a similar mindset. Not to save anyone he loves, but to learn of a way to prolong his life, to ensure his reign over the galaxy.” The woman sighed, “he was bested by his apprentice, where he once was his masters undoing he did not anticipate the cycle repeating itself. Or maybe he did, considering what happened next.”

Rey was ensnared, her attention piqued, her hope rising because it seemed like she would finally get answers for questions that still plagued her thoughts.

“I was not there when it began, but I was a witness to the results. After Palpatines fall, it was believed that he had perished, but it was not so. Instead, he utilized an advanced darksider ability. One that he was well known for among those attuned to the dark.”

She paused, and Rey could see a flicker of emotions run through her face and it struck her that the woman seemed to fear whatever knowledge she held. The woman steeled herself, her eyes becoming hard as she continued, “Transfer Essence. That’s what the ability is known as. Only a handful of Sith lords know of this ability. It allows for the transfer a person's consciousness into another body or, in some cases, an inanimate object.”

“Which is what Palpatine did. He was always planning ahead. Always making a failsafe, alternative plans,” the smile she gave was rueful, “And so, when he plummeted, betrayed by his own apprentice, he fell back to those alternative plans. Before he was completely destroyed, he utilized this ability to cheat death. He had a clone waiting for him, an empty vessel which he then escaped with. This is the start of a series of events that lead you here today.”

The occupants of the room remained deathly silent, waiting for the woman to continue. Her image seemed to flicker briefly, her form fuzzy around the edges.

“The next place I will send you will explain my history, and in turn, your history and how I have come to know all of this knowledge. Seek Dothomir, you will go into the Tomb of Kujet, awaken me again once you are within its depths.”

Her worn eyes appeared to soften then, and Rey could tell that regret lingered within its hazel depths, she’s seen it before, in Luke, in Leia, in _Ben_ , “I’m sorry that you’ve been thrown into this. If I had been able to…well, in short I wasn’t able to accomplish my mission. And so, it falls to you now. Follow the path, acquire the knowledge, and undo the sins of the past, of my past.” Another pause, before the woman steeled her resolve once more, “You will help bring about true peace. I’m sure of it”

“You are my darling Fayth, after all.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Typing up more chapters and they are getting beefy :D so updates will come as soon as I can get them done, I promise! Also, prepare to start seeing some characters that are not necessarily from the movie trilogies but come from extended content (books, comics, etc.)
> 
> Trying to remain canon-compliant as much as possible :D
> 
> Also, don't forget to leave comments, they are always loved <3


	12. Tenuous Peace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The content silence that was there before was replaced by a tense awkwardness. Rey took a deep breath, expelling it out as a sigh, and set her utensil down while silently lamenting the fact that her appetite has rapidly diminished at the idea of what she would have to say next, “Poe…”
> 
> “I’m sorry.”
> 
> Rey’s face snapped towards Fayth in surprise, watching her idly push at her food, her gaze downcast as she continues, “I overstepped and for that I’m sorry.”
> 
> Poe looked about as shocked as Rey felt, staring at Fayth for several seconds in disbelief before slowly replying, “Well thanks, Ki—, I mean, Fayth.”
> 
> “I’m not sorry for what I said though.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all!
> 
> Sorry for the delay! Being an essential worker and working from home is long and arduous. While thankfully I'm not as critical as healthcare works, store clerks, and others...my job as a supervisor in Foster Care and being responsible for not just the families under my unit but for my case planners themselves has been draining me mentally and consuming _way_ more time than I'm getting paid for :|
> 
> Writing has been slower but I am still trying my best! Also, at the end of the notes I am including links to sources for certain things/people that I reference in my insane attempt to remain cannon compliant as much as possible.

“Rey?”

Rey bolted upright, wincing when the top of her head smacked against the top bunk, her hand coming to rub at the now throbbing spot that would surely bruise by tomorrow for a few seconds before moving her gaze over to see the girl, _Fayth_ , her mind reminded her, and seeing her hazel eyes wince in sympathy and concern. “I’m fine,” Rey muttered, the bruise would be definitely be ugly by tomorrow, “what time is it?”

“Close to 9 standard time.”

Rey groaned, “Maker, that meeting is soon.”

The gir- _Fayth_ \- gave a rueful smile, “It is, maybe we can get food and prepare in advanced to see Poe? After last night…”

Rey winced again, although this time it was not because of the throbbing pain that lingered on her head, recalling the events of the last night after they’d finished seeing the small bits of information that was locked within the holocron.

* * *

_The door slid open and all three occupants flinched at the sound, turning around to look at the newest member to join them. There Poe stood, glancing from Rey, to the girl, to Finn before his eyes landed on the holocron that was innocently laying on top of the table, the image of the woman long gone._

_“What in kriffing hell are you guys doing?” he muttered, his voice low, brokering no room to try and avoid the question._

_Finn was the first to respond, placing himself between Rey and Poe and holding his hands up in a placating gesture, “Wait, Poe….”_

_“No, Finn!” he shot a glare over towards Rey, “I thought we were past this Sith stuff! Palpatine’s_ dead _! How could you bring that…that…” he gestured towards the holocron, “that_ thing _here!”_

_Rey scowled, “I need answers, Poe. I have to understand why Palpatine returned and ensure he doesn’t come back again.” Rey noticed from the corner of her eye that the girl glanced at Rey in confusion, clearly wondering why she didn’t divulge that the reason behind the holocron was because of the girl herself._

_Poe didn’t seem to buy her excuse, crossing his arms over his chest in what Rey could only assume was an attempt to assert dominance over the situation, “Rey, this is the most reckless thing I’ve ever heard from you. Even more reckless than when we went to Kef Bir!”_

_Rey froze, flashes of memories flooding her mind of crashing waves and the remaining wreckage of the second death star. Blue clashing against red and sparks of light jumping from where the blades connected. The face of Ben looking at her in shock before slumping down to the ground, glancing down in almost disbelief at the fatal wound before he seemed to come to a quiet acceptance of his fate; until Rey intervened and saved him. “Stop now, Poe,” Rey warned, her hands clenched into fists and shaking at her sides._

_“Don’t what, Rey?! Call out what a kriffing idiot you’re being?! What if that thing was a trap, huh?! What if you inadvertently endangered_ everyone _in this building in your selfish quest to find ‘answers’?!”_

 _Rey felt anger simmering beneath her skin, her vision blurring in the process. She was pissed at how dismissive Poe was becoming. And if anything, it only reinforced that she had no friends here, that_ no one _understood her, that she really was alone…_

 _Rey heard the girls voice ring out before realizing that she had actually moved up to where Poe was standing, “If you’re fighting for the good of the galaxy then I think you would understand why Rey is doing this.” She stated in an even tone, “and I would_ think _that for the good of the galaxy, you would be_ all for _us ensuring that there are no more threats against it. You know about the ambush earlier, there are still Sith sympathizers right beneath your nose. So I would_ suggest _,” She took a step closer and pointed at Poe, “that you back off and let Rey do what she must for the good of everyone.”_

_Poe sputtered for a moment in disbelief as to how this girl could even dare to place herself into this argument, “You have no place in here, kid. Go back to your room while the adults talk this out.”_

_The girl let out a noise of frustration, her arms crossed over her chest in a perfect imitation of Poe’s own stance, “I am_ not. A. child! _” she hissed, “get used to my name, you fragging airhead! It’s Fayth! F.A.Y.T.H! And you need to start respecting Rey’s decisions just like she’s respecting yours. You call yourself a friend but all I’ve seen since I’ve arrived has been you being imposing instead of cooperative and understanding! That’s not a friend! That’s a dictator, and that’s_ not _who I would want as the face of the Resistance!”_

_Rey could tell that her words hit home, the brief flicker of self-doubt in Poe’s eyes before they hardened in indignant anger. The tension in the room was mounting and Rey and Finn chanced a glance at each other, nodding towards one another before Rey quickly made to grab the girl by the arms and shuffle her out of the room, leaving a yelling Poe and a distressed Finn behind in their wake._

* * *

“You’ll have to apologize,” Rey commented while the pair made their way to the elevators.

Fayth huffed, “I don’t see why. He calls me a kid but he’s acts more like a child than I do.”

“Saying that makes you sound childish, you know.” Rey lightly teased.

Fayth scoffed and looked away, muttering under her breath.

They remained quiet the rest of the way, arriving to the sounds of chatter that increased in volume once the doors slide open. A wave of sudden silence greeted them, followed quickly by soft whispers, and Rey could see the girl fidget under their attention.

“Come on,” Rey gently guided Fayth over to the line that was to their right, grabbing a tray and handing one over to her as well as some disposable utensils. They slowly made their way down the serving line, Rey grabbing a little of everything while Fayth was more selective of what she placed on her tray, opting for fruits and a protein. They each took a cup of caf and then turned to gaze out at the mess hall.

The attention that was on them had waned for the most part, everyone turning back to resume their previous conversations. Rey spotted a few empty seats to the far end at a corner and nudged at Fayth, inclining her head towards the empty table.

They walked over and took up two of the four empty seats, setting their trays down and settling into their chairs. Rey quickly tore into her potion bread, scooping a little bit of the soft, whipped cream-like substance, and slathering it onto the piece of bread; plopping it into her mouth and humming in content as the rich taste hit her tongue.

The two remained in that moment of silent content, each savoring and enjoying the food on their respective plates. The sound of a chair being pulled back alerted Rey of incoming company. Seeing Fayth fidget uncomfortably only further confirmed _who_ exactly joined them at the table without Rey having to glance up and see them.

“Poe.”

The man paused, “Rey.” He said carefully before taking his seat.

The content silence that was there before was replaced by a tense awkwardness. Rey took a deep breath, expelling it out as a sigh, and set her utensil down while silently lamenting the fact that her appetite has rapidly diminished at the idea of what she would have to say next, “Poe…”

“I’m sorry.”

Rey’s face snapped towards Fayth in surprise, watching her idly push at her food, her gaze downcast as she continues, “I overstepped and for that I’m sorry.”

Poe looked about as shocked as Rey felt, staring at Fayth for several seconds in disbelief before slowly replying, “Well thanks, Ki—, I mean, Fayth.”

“I’m not sorry for what I said though.”

Poe worked his jaw in mild irritation. Meanwhile Rey simply said, “Fayth,” to call her attention as well as give a warning.

She pouted in response, “Well, I’m _not_. I am sorry for how I said it. I overstepped, but that doesn’t make it any less true.”

Poe was struggling with whatever he wanted to say, and Rey was about to interject once more until she heard another visitor approach their table. “Everything okay?” Finn asked, taking the last empty seat besides Poe and looking towards him expectantly.

“Just. Fine.” Poe huffed out, looking away from everyone briefly before directing his gaze back towards both women at the table, “I am also sorry, for what it’s worth.”

Rey simply nodded, “It’s fine,” she replied quietly, “Let’s just…move on from this.”

The others around her nodded, settling into a rather tense but far more comfortable silence than it was moments earlier. Although Rey found that her appetite and enjoyment of the food had diminished considerably she still powered through the rest, unsure of when they would have another opportunity to eat actual food instead of just portions after they leave. Apparently Fayth was of the same mindset, silently chewing away at what remained of her food, her face almost passive except for the slight scrunching of her eyes that let Rey know that there was something still on the girls mind.

Minutes ticked by tortuously slow and when Rey finished the last bite of food, forcefully swallowing it down, she pushed her chair back to stand, clearing her throat, “We’ll see you at the conference.”

Poe glanced up, again with that same look of wanting to say something more but simply nodded, “Yeah, sure. You can head over there now. We’ll be up there in about ten.”

* * *

“I find that your plan regarding how to integrate the different systems is highly naïve and it completely disregards the reality of our situation.”

“No, no, _you’re_ the one that is highly pessimistic and refuse to see even the remote possibility of true unity and peace.”

“ _Peace_?! With them?! Those Sith sympathizers are nothing but bantha fodder!”

“You’re both acting like complete Nerfherders.”

“Well aren’t you delightful. What other obscenities are you going to hurl out here today?”

“You hadn’t even said a word this whole time up until now. What? Loth-cat got your tongue?”

“ _Alright! Quiet for one second!”_

The room quickly fell to silence. The occupants all turning their attention towards the last person to speak, Poe, who regarded them all with a wary expression. The tick in his jaw belied how tightly his teeth were clamped, and Rey briefly wondered how he was even able to maintain his composure throughout the thirty minutes that they’ve been all cramped together in this room.

Rey and Fayth sat quietly to the side, their seats up against the wall right beside the only door into, and out of, the room while the two dozen representatives from various allied planets were seated around the table. It was the same conference room from yesterday though this time the room was bathed in the bright light that filtered through the floor to ceiling windows, completely unobstructed.

Rey had to admit, it was jarring to see Poe wearing the customary Coruscanti robes instead of his pilot suit or his civilian attire. The robes seemed over exaggerated, the fuzzy fur-like collar completely hiding his neck and bulking up his top half, making him appear completely disproportionate. The dark blue imported fabrics appear soft to the touch as well as expensive. There was a mixture of patterns, part of the robes a solid color and appearing like velvet while the other part was cloth with a brocade-like pattern.

But, above all those descriptors, the one word that jumped out at Rey the most was that the entire ensemble looked entirely too _uncomfortable_ to wear.

Poe rested both hands on top of the conference table, taking a deep breath as he continued, “We’re here to come to a consensus on how to move forward with uniting the galaxy in a way that prevents another possible fallout and war when we are still recovering and it would be nice to do that, _civilly and respectfully_.”

Several of the members grimaced at his words, while others looked completely indignant and ready to argue. Finn quickly took the opportunity to jump in and support Poe during the brief silence before the meeting descended back into chaos, “We’ll hear one person at a time starting from ambassador Yendor, representative of Ryloth.”

Rey felt a wave of sadness at the slight of the older Twi’lek male moving to stand. His blue skin was heightened against the clothes he wore. Instead of the long, flowy robes that were expected from a Twi’lek male, he opted to wear his combat attire; as if he were expecting to walk into a war.

In hindsight, this whole situation could be considered a battleground. Just of a different kind.

“As I’m certain everyone here is aware, the sudden appearance of Palpatine and the shift that the war took had been a surprise to us all. The Resistance was not prepared for the sheer number of enemies that were instantly at our doors, waiting to take over all of our homes and subject us to re-experience the age of the empire. When General Leia Organa attempted to bolster the number of Resistance there were many members in this room, for a myriad of reasons and excuses, who ignored her pleas.”

At hearing his words, Rey could see some guiltily avert their gaze. She remembered that time, when the resistance was in ruins, after their escape from Crait. What once was an army had been reduced to merely a handful of wounded fighters. Even through their names were famous among the oppressed, Leia's last desperate call for aid had gone unanswered. It wasn’t until they touched base on Ryloth, when Leia called for aid from former Rebel allies, that Yendor and the others took them in secretly.

“However, we all answered at the final battle. And while we secured a definitive and decisive victory with the death of Palpatine and the fall of the Final Order, it has come at great personal cost for many. Such as my daughter, Hahnee Brethen.” At hearing the name, Rey cast her gaze downward, remembering the orange skinned Twi’lek woman who gave her life to warn everyone that the Rylothian government had revealed the Resistance's location to the First Order; allowing them enough time to escape.

“There’s a belief I hold firm: valiant deaths do not exist, only death in its purest form. But we can give meaning to the sacrifices made, and the lives lost; by carrying on their dreams, and seeing them to fruition. And in that, I ask you all, would those who you have lost want to see us bicker back and forth or would they want us to discuss and make compromises diplomatically, for the good or the galaxy?”

His question was met with silence, several members exchange glances with one another, each one hesitant on how to respond, and who should speak first.

A series of animated sounds could be heard and Rey turned her gaze just in time to catch the Ewok scout Wicket and his son Pommet both give an enthusiastic answer.

“I wonder what are they’re saying.”

Rey answered in a low whisper while keeping her gaze on the pair seated to the left of Poe, “They’re saying that they were present when one of the First Order's Star Destroyers was destroyed via the "Holdo maneuver". Watched as the galaxy became inspired by the Resistance victory and rose up against the remaining soldiers and factions of the First Order. And they’re urging everyone to hold onto that feeling they had, that hope and excitement, as we move forward to a better future.”

She could clearly hear the bewilderment in Fayth’s voice as she asked, “You can _understand that_?”

Rey smiled, “I learned from a salvaged ship computer when I lived on Jakku. I’m a bit rusty though,” she shrugged, “never had an opportunity to use it until now.”

Fayth hummed in response while the rest of those present looked on in confusion, waiting for them to finish and for C3PO to begin translating for everyone in attendance. When the translation ended, some nodded in agreement, soft murmurs heard which felt encouraging to Rey; making her hope that this conference will be able to reach a peaceful conclusion.

“Such nativity’ we’ll never be able to achieve peace if we continue the mistakes of the past.”

The room fell silent, dozens of pairs of eyes shifting over to stare at the newest voice to join the conversation. There, at the far right of the conference table, sat the Bardottans emissary, Patteen, her green eyes scanning the room, calculating.

Criticizing.

“Have you forgotten the faults of our past?” she sneered, “Why are we still entrusting our future to the Jedi?!” she ended in high pitched tone, pointing accusingly at Rey.

She felt more than saw the girl flinch beside her, meanwhile Rey kept herself breathing, trying to stay centered to weather the tirade that she was sure would come.

“The Jedi are part of the problem! Do you all forget of our history? Of how the Jedi, ‘in their infinite wisdom,’ amassed an army in the interest of, ‘keeping the peace,’ only for it all to turn against them?! Against us?! Why are we allowing them to rebuild? If anything, we should not allow force-sensitives to continue to have part or influence over decisions regarding our futures!”

Rey could hear soft murmurs of agreement amongst the group and, for a second, her breathing faltered. She began to wring the fabric of her sash in her hands, her teeth biting on her lower lip to stifle the words that wanted to come out.

Because she was angry, angry that they would so easily criticize the Jedi from before but easily overlooked their own sins.

The Jedi weren’t absolved from their guilt. But neither were they.

The meeting was heading back towards chaos, and Poe stood up in an attempt to quell the discontent. Finn stood up as well, looking towards Rey with a pleading expression of which she could not find it in herself to answer.

“ _Enough!_ ”

Multitudes of pairs of eyes moved over to look at the newest voice to join the chorus; said person fidgeting restlessly on her seat.

“I…” Fayth paused, her eyes wide in slight panic, thrown off by her own outburst. Rey was ready to jump in, if only to relieve her of having to face her embarrassment any longer but the sound of the door opening and the feeling of a small and weathered orange hand on Rey’s shoulder halted the words that were on the tip of her tongue.

Maz’s small, beady-like eyes regarded Rey with warmth, before turning their attention to the rest of the group, where her gaze hardened; just like what one would expect of the famed Pirate Queen.

"I am no Jedi, but I know the Force. There will always, _always,_ be evil. And it will not always wear the same face." She pulled her hand away, walking towards the group and pacing around the table while she continued, "Through the ages…I've seen evil take many forms. The Sith. The Empire. The First Order. The Final Order. Tomorrow, who knows what we will face. But the only way forward is together.” Maz paused, regarding all of the participants with a loaded look, “all of us working to maintain peace, and fight against evil whenever it appears. Whatever form it takes."

Her words seemed to finally hit the mark that Poe and Finn were hoping for. They swayed those that were once skeptical to the cause, and discussions soon began anew. Not even Patteen could refute Maz’s impassioned speech, lest she open herself up to criticism from the rest and alienation from her peers. 

Rey looked on, a small smile on her lips as those in the room began to speak one at a time, listening to each other without criticizing their thoughts or opinions. It was tenuous at best, this moment of peaceful discourse.

Rey sincerely hoped it would be enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember to please give kudos/comments to show love <3 
> 
> My muse appreciates it!
> 
> And now for link sources!!
> 
> What is a [Sith Holocron](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Sith_holocron)?
> 
> [The List of Curse Words and Slang I didn't know I needed](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_phrases_and_slang)
> 
> Man, [clothing](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Clothing) is very....distinctive
> 
> Oh look, someone from the sequel trilogy novels that we don't see in movies...surprise! [Yendor](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Yendor) from the planet [Ryloth](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Ryloth)
> 
> [For anyone interested, here is a brief summary of the book that Yendor appears in](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Resistance_Reborn)
> 
> [Wicket](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Wicket_W._Warrick) and [Pommet](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Pommet_Warrick)
> 
> Apparently, Rey **can** speak [Ewokese](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Ewokese)
> 
> While Patteen is made up by me, the [Bardottans](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Bardottan) are not!
> 
> While I'm sure we're all familiar with the lore and the history of the Clones.... _just_ in case: [Information on Clone Troopers](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Clone_trooper)
> 
> [Maz Kanata is badass and no one can change my mind](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Maz_Kanata).


	13. No matter where you go, I will always find you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I need to know, Maz” she quietly admitted, “I have to see if there’s a way to bring him back.”
> 
> “And if there is?”
> 
> “I’ll do anything,” she instantly replied, no hesitation in her voice, “whatever I have to do to bring him back."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a while! It's been a struggle to balance 5 ongoing stories but I am trying my best <3

“How are you feeling, Rey?”

Rey glanced up to the older woman, offering what she hoped was a reassuring smile, “I’m doing well. How are you, Maz? I thought you wouldn’t be staying with the Resistance?”

Maz shrugged, “Not like I have anywhere to be.”

Oh. Right. “Sorry,”

“Not your fault, really.”

“Still.”

Maz waved her off and changed the subject, “Lively meeting, huh? Seemed more like an underground brawl than a diplomatic meeting.”

“Yeah,” Rey replied, her gaze back out to the now empty conference room.

The meeting ended about thirty minutes ago, the occupants having trickled out of the room little by little until just the three of them remained. Poe and Finn were busy seeing to the safe departure of each representative, probably doing their best to stay in their graces and maintain a positive rapport so that they will come back to the next meeting.

Rey sincerely hopes that they can move forward and find some sense of stability. Especially as she won’t be around to see it.

“You found yourself a new straggler?”

Rey smiled, “More like we found each other.”

Maz smiled as well, turning her gaze towards the girl who was now up and looking out of the windows with her mouth open in awe, “She’s a strong one. What are you hoping to do?”

“Find answers.”

“What else?”

At that, Rey paused to look back towards Maz, seeing the knowing look in her eyes, “I need to know, Maz” she quietly admitted, “I have to see if there’s a way to bring him back.”

“And if there is?”

“I’ll do anything,” she instantly replied, no hesitation in her voice, “whatever I have to do to bring him back. Back then,” Rey took a breath, “when I…when he fell, I gave him some of my life. In that moment I would have given him all of it…died if I had to.”

“Your compassion leads you.”

Rey shook her head, a sad smile gracing her lips, “more than that,” her eyes glittered with unshed tears, and Maz nodded in understanding, her gaze still trained on the younger girl that was across the room.

“I’m sure he knows.”

Rey let out a small huff, barely the humorless laugh she had thought to reply with, “I never had the chance to actually tell him.”

“There’s more than one way to express your feelings, Rey.”

“What use was it anyway?” Rey bit at the inside of her cheek, forcing herself to hold back the tears, “He came back just to die. I didn’t… _we didn’t…_ ”

“So you hope that by following this path you’ll be able to find him again?”

“Yes.”

“And if you don’t find the answers you seek?”

“Then I’ll keep looking,” Rey answered, her voice full of conviction, “I won’t stop, Maz. Not until I die.”

Maz stopped to look over to Rey then, “I’m sure that’s not what that stubborn fool would want.”

“Well, he went and saved me only to leave. That wasn’t what I wanted either. So he’ll just have to deal with me doing what I want, since he did the same.”

“Ha, you’ve got a tongue on you. Reminds me a bit of him, when he was still a boy. Had a streak similar to his father, that one. I remember the few times Han brought him to me,” Maz shook her head sadly, “he was sent away soon after the last time I saw him though. Things from there…well, you know.”

Rey did know. She knew very well because she saw it, she felt it. The memories of Ben Solo were permanently seared into her mind, the remnants of all the times that they’ve connected through the force bond; forever guarded into a select corner of her mind along with all of her actual memories of him. “He changed, Maz. He stopped me from doing the unthinkable, from falling into the dark side. He _saved_ me.”

“I know,” Maz softly replied. At Rey’s questioning gaze, she continued, “I could feel the shift too. Leia, she did what she had to do to sway him back but you…you gave him the final push he needed.” Maz moved to the other side of Rey, taking the now empty seat beside her, “You showed Ben something that he hadn’t gotten in a long time,” Maz placed a small hand on top of Rey’s, who were still clutching at the fabric sash, “You showed him a true act of generosity, in spite of what he’d done. You reached out your hand, when no one else had for a long time.”

Rey felt her lip tremble at hearing Maz’s words, “He did it too, in his own way. I think, we both save each other.”

“I hope you find what you seek. Force knows you two have been through enough.”

Rey felt a tear slip out, running down her cheek and leaving a wet trail in its wake, “Thank you, Maz.”

Maz patted Rey’s hands twice, “I also hope that girl there finds her own closure too.”

Rey turned to look back towards the girl, “She’s lost a lot.”

“She has, and she lives in her grief. Stay beside her, there’s much she has yet to know, and she may lose more following this path.”

Rey let out a small breath, “Is it the dark side? She…she’s been close to falling twice now.”

“I don’t know for certain,” Maz answered, “But I can tell that she will face loss in some form. Stay beside her, Rey. You will both find many answers that you seek and do not be afraid to teach her. She will not be your only student.”

Rey’s brows furrowed in confusion from Maz’s words. She hadn’t expected that answer from the small humanoid woman, nor had she placed any thought to the possibility of teaching others. Despite the amount of time that’s passed, she still flinched at the thought of fully embracing the force once again. The times she’s used them were from an instinctive reaction, to stop the girl, to open the holocron. Rey hadn’t even meditated in months. Not since Exogol.

To embrace the force would mean to expose herself once again and she was not ready to do that. To open herself completely means facing the emptiness of the force bond, to be reminded that she was missing her other half. Her Ben. It didn’t make sense for Maz to say that unless there was a reason.

Rey turned to ask her to clarify…

Only to see an empty seat beside her once again.

* * *

“She was nice.”

Rey turned to look at Fayth, who was now facing her from her position sitting cross-legged on the top bunk of the bed. “Who? Maz?”

Fayth nodded, “I saw her for a little bit after she left.”

Rey looked confused at that, “You did? When?”

Now the girl looked confused, “when you finished talking.” She replied slowly, “I ran into her when I left you in the conference room.”

“Did she say anything to you?”

“Not much,” the girl replied but Rey could sense the slight shift in her tone and arched a brow in clear skepticism. “Okay, fine,” Fayth huffed, “she just mentioned that I should listen to you…”

“And?”

“And stop being so kriffing stubborn,” Fayth finished mumbling, meanwhile Rey let out a small laugh.

“That would be Maz.”

“She also mentioned that you’ll teach me more about the force.”

Rey paused at that, considering her next words carefully, “I’ll…consider it. But if I do, it will be a little at a time, and _only_ when you’re able to handle it.”

She lit up at Rey’s response, clapping her hands once and nodded rapidly, “I’ll be ready, you’ll see.”

“You’re very enthusiastic,” Rey commented, “before you didn’t seem too eager to learn.”

“Well, I have a chance to be something. Make a difference in the galaxy.” Fayth replied, suddenly very interested at plucking at the covers on her bed, “You were right, you know.”

“About?”

“About me always feeling like something was inside me,” she whispered, but the admission was just loud enough for Rey to hear it, “I’ve said it before, but, I never felt like I belonged in Tatooine. I always wanted more, but I never knew what it was that I was searching for. Whenever I would tell fath—I mean, pa…he would just tell me that our life was fine on the farm. That I shouldn’t look beyond the horizon for something that was right in front of me.”

“Seems like he loved you a lot.”

“Yes, but I wonder what he tried to keep from me. Why tell me my mother died in a Tuscan raid? I don’t…I want answers and if learning of the force is what I have to do then, I’ll do it.”

“You may not like the answers you get,” Rey warned gently; not because she wants the girl to be let down but because Rey remembers her own feelings when she learned of her true lineage. It was a tumultuous time that she wouldn’t wish on the girl.

“It doesn’t matter. I need the truth, Rey. I _have_ to know what my parent were hiding from me.” Fayth confessed quietly.

Rey walked over to the girl, extending her hands upwards to cover hers, “Okay,” she acquiesced, “I’ll train you. We’ll find out together.”

* * *

Darkness surrounded her.

Its presence was suffocating. All consuming in the way it pressed against her chest and yet caressed her at the same time. Rey glanced around, wild-eyed and frantic to find some sort of sign or visual besides the complete blanket of night.

But there was nothing.

 _No one_.

Rey felt panic well up in her chest, her lungs heaving with effort to bring in enough oxygen but unable to. She felt light-headed and her limbs were becoming numb from the lack of air circulating through her body.

 _‘Please,’_ she pleaded, to someone, _anyone_ , that would listen, _‘please, be with me.’_

Her body was heavy, her eyes struggling to stay open and her breath became labored, _‘Don’t leave me alone.’_

Rey felt herself slipping into the darkness, tears escaping her eyes while her mind filled her with the most comforting thoughts she could have in her final moments. It didn’t surprise her that her mind only briefly skimmed past thoughts of Leia, Luke, Chewie, Poe, and Finn. That she could barely grasp the faces of Maz and those of the resistance. That she only just registered the sight of Fayth among the jumbled mass of second long memories of the others.

Her mind only briefly acknowledged those that had any impact in her life, instead honing in on one person. The only one that ever understood her, knew her as intimately as she knew herself. The one that knew her flaws and still accepted her fully as who she was. Who knew of her loneliness, because it echoed with his own.

The one person she wanted to see most.

_Ben._

If she were to fall here, wherever this is, she hoped that it would at least grant her the small mercy of seeing Ben once again. To suffer life without him was excruciating. To further suffer the after without him…she just…she _couldn’t_ …

A touch.

It was feather light, but Rey could feel it instantly ignite her senses. Her whole being flaring to life again in a way that nearly overwhelmed her. Her nerves felt hypersensitive, her body shivering though there was no cold. It was a surge of energy she hasn’t felt in months. The feeling startlingly similar to the only other time that she truly felt connected and in peace. Balance. Harmony.

Her other half.

Her eyes slowly opened, _when had she even closed them_ , and at first disappointment flooded her because it was darkness that greeted her. But as she continued blinking, her vision began to clear and she found her surrounding still overwhelmingly dark, but the previously empty space was now filled with endless small stars spanning across it. Her mouth parted in awe, seeing the glimmer of millions, no _trillions_ , of specks of lights across the area above her. She slowly lowed her gaze, instantly meeting pale skin and warm hazel eyes staring at her in…shock?

“Ben?”

He opened and closed his mouth a few times, his throat working and Adams apple bobbing repeatedly before he croaked out, “ _Rey_?”

Her throat was constricted, a lump forming making it hard to breathe and her eyes were burning with the need to cry but for once it wasn’t grief that fueled her reaction. Her arms came around him before she could even think it; a flood of relief and happiness because he was _here_ ; he was with her and they were together once again. But even as she felt the pleasant hum of their bond, even as she felt the solid form of him beneath her hands and felt his own arms come up to wrap themselves around her; something was off, it wasn’t exactly like what she felt on Exogol.

She could feel him, but it was muted.

“Ben? How are you here?” She glanced around again, “where is here, anyway?”

“I don’t know,” He glanced around briefly before returning his gaze back to Rey. His eyes were sharp and intense, as if he were trying to take in every small detail of her, to reaffirm that she was actually there with him. “How long have I been gone?”

Rey opened her mouth in shock, could he really not know the time that he’s been here? How could he not know that it’s been, “A _month_ , Ben,” she whispered, her voice cracking slightly at the word month. “You’ve been gone for a month.”

He lips were set in a tight line, “Kriff, I didn’t know.” He raked his hand through his hair in frustration.

“Ben, why?” It was a question she was dreading to ask but still needed to know. “Back in Exogol, why would you…” _save me_ were the words left unsaid.

But she knew that he knew her unspoken words, even when she didn’t want him to, he would _always_ know her thoughts. “You know why,” he murmured, his hand coming up to tuck several strands of loose hair behind her ear.

She does, but she wanted to actually hear the words from his mouth, “Tell me,” she urged.

Ben shook his head and her heart sank, “Not yet, not until I get back to you.”

“Ben,” she whimpered, “how do I do it? How can I get you back?”

“I don’t know,” he admitted, “I don’t know how I got here.”

“Do you remember anything after Exogol?”

His jaw ticked while his eyes were deep in thought, “Not really. I remember the force calling out to me but everything after that is blank.”

Rey sighed, resting her forehead against his chest, “I don’t know what they want me to do.”

She felt his lips press against the top of her head in a kiss, “We’ll find a way. I won’t stop, sweetheart. I’ll find a way back to you.”

“I know.” She replied, feeling the conviction in his words and letting the truth of it wash over her, “you’re always with me, right?”

“No one is ever truly gone, Rey.” He replied, his fingers hooking under her chin to tilt her face up enough so that he could rest his forehead against hers, offering her a lopsided smile.

They stayed like that for a few moments, stolen time between the two of them. Her arms held tightly to his body as did his own arms to her body. Although Rey could tell that he was not really there—or was it she that wasn’t really there?—as the feeling of his body against hers somewhat muted

A niggling feeling at the edge of her awareness alerted her to the approaching waking to another day. She pulled away and stared at Ben in panic, “I don’t want to go.”

He shook his head, a small rueful smile on his lips, “You have to, Rey.”

The feeling morphed into a pull against her form and she fought against it, clinging desperately for more time, even a second more, with Ben. Her hands clutched at his arms in her desperation, “Ben,” she cried out.

His arms around her tightened more, close to the point of pain but she ignored it, focusing solely on the press of him against her and the bond flowing freely between them, “We’ll meet again,” he said, his gaze holding her own, his feelings pouring directly into her soul through the bond. Her surroundings were beginning to disappear, and she could faintly hear her name being called now, the sound muffled and distant at first but quickly gaining clarity just as her currently surroundings continue to blur. Just before she was finally pulled back into the waking world, she heard Ben whisper his last words of comfort against her ear:

“No matter where you go, Rey. I will always find you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave comments! My muse appreciates them greatly <3


	14. Awkward Goodbyes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, keeping this cannon compliant is more difficult than I thought. I'm doing more research for this story than I did for my 60 page CAPSTONE project for my masters XD
> 
> Reference links and stuff are below.
> 
> Surviving the quarantine has been interesting. Still struggling with having a hard stop time for work related things and dedicating time for me and more importantly for writing. I'm working on it though!

“Rey?”

A pause. “Rey.”

Rey groaned, her head moving from one side to another in an attempt to stop whatever was trying to wake her. A pair of small, and rather cold, hands curled around Rey’s arm and the voice rang out louder.

“Rey!”

Rey shot up from her sleeping position, or at least attempted to, but was instantly held down. She struggled against the hold until she finally opened her eyes and realized that the hands stopped her from repeating yesterday’s events and giving the lump on the top of her head a twin. She glanced to the side and saw Fayth there, leaning over her and holding her down.

As soon as Fayth saw Rey awake, she pulled her hands back and moved away from the bed, “Sorry,” she said softly. “It's morning and almost time to leave. You were calling out in your sleep so I figured I should try to wake you.”

“I see,” Rey rubbed at her eyes, pushing away the last lingering drowsiness of sleep. “How long were you awake?”

“For the past two hours,” she replied, gesturing over to the table beside the bed where a covered tray was on top, “I got you some breakfast.”

It was only then that Rey picked up the faintest smell of cured meats, her stomach rumbling instantly at the thought of food. Fayth smiled, clearly happy to have thought ahead to get food for her which caused Rey to smile in return. She slipped out of the bed and stood, stretching her arms over her head and feeling a few satisfying pops before exhaling and turning to pull the chair and sit on it, uncovering the tray to see the strips of cured and fried strips of gorg meat, scrambled eggs, and Kodari rice. On a separate plastic bowl was a pad of the creamy spread from yesterday and Rey eyed the food hungrily, picking up a strip of gorg meat and taking a small nibble. She’s humming at the smoky, salty taste that coated her mouth. 

“I’m going to miss the food,” she mused, popping the rest of the strip into her mouth.

Fayth shook her head, “I saw Finn at the mess hall, and he told me that they would give us some supplies for our journey.”

Rey looked up at that, arching a skeptical brow, “Poe agreed to this?”

Fayth avoided Rey’s gaze, shuffling her feet, “Well…he didn’t say no.”

She pursed her lips, “I’m not going to take something that isn’t offered.”

Fayth frowned, “Finn told me that it will take several standard days to reach this Dathomir. That it’s in the outer rim…”

“It is,” Rey confirmed, turning back to continue eating at her breakfast, “I already have the coordinates. It’s in the Quelii sector and about 10,500 parsecs away. The Millenium Falcon should be able to reach it in just over a day.”

Fayth remained unconvinced, “Still, we don’t know if Dathomir will be our only stop. We don’t even know how many stops there’ll be.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Rey replied, “I have some days’ worth of supplies and some credits to keep us afloat.”

Fayth laid a hand on her shoulder, jolting her, “So do I, but Rey…we shouldn’t shun help when it’s offered. They’re your friend’s right? I’m sure they won’t mind helping you.”

Rey remained skeptical but silent, picking and eating at the rest of her breakfast. Fayth looked like she wanted to say more but instead just looked down to the ground and shook her head, quietly whispering, “I’m going to go to the ‘fresher,” before turning around and exiting the room, leaving Rey alone to her thoughts.

* * *

Eventually Rey could no longer use the excuse of eating her breakfast to remain in the room—her tray long since cleared of food—and she heaved herself up to her feet with a sigh, already dreading the awkward exchange of goodbyes that was to come. 

She quickly reached under her rather flimsy pillow, her finger curling around the familiar heavy weight of metal and fabric before pulling it out. She stared for a long time at the hilt of the lightsaber, the item both comforting yet at the same time anxiety producing; which felt like such a high contradiction but she had no other words that could accurately describe the tumult of conflicting emotions within her every time she held her saber.

A knock at the door pulled her from her temporary musings, Rey absentmindedly clipped her lightsaber to her belt before striding over toward the control panel, her hand hovering over the button to open it momentarily before finally pressing it. The doors opened revealing the absolute last person that she expected.

“Poe.”

He nodded before looking around, possibly to see if Rey was on her own before asking, “Mind if I come in?”

Rey moved aside to allow him in, watching curiously as he walked past her and briefly paused, letting out a heavy breath before turning around to face Rey, his lips set into a firm line.

Rey gave him a few moments to collect his thoughts, before shifting her weight from one hip to the other in a restless gesture.

Poe picked up on her cue, ruffling his hair briefly before he started, “Look, I came because I wanted to apologize.”

“You already did that yesterday.” Rey reminded him.

“I did,” he confirmed. “But I wanted to personally apologize to you. I was told,” he chuckled though the sound was humorless, “very clearly that I was a gfersh in the way I acted. I didn’t,” he paused to exhale again, “I wasn’t being a very good friend.”

Rey paused at that, momentarily taken aback at his sincere-sounding admission and apology, “its fine,” she finally answered, looking away.

“Rey, seriously. I am sorry. It’s been…a really bad time for me lately.”

“It's fine,” Rey repeated. “Must not be easy trying to bring a whole galaxy together.”

His answering chuckle was more light-hearted then. “Definitely not. It still doesn’t excuse what I did though. What I said. I didn’t take the time to understand you because I was caught up in my own problems. It wasn’t right of me to do that.”

Rey moved before she could even think about what she was doing, amused at Poe’s startled expression when she laid her hand on his shoulders, “its okay, Poe. Let’s just move past this.”

Poe offered a smile in response, thanking Rey before clearing his throat to continue, “We should head up now. I want you to check over the supplies we have for you to take. Make sure you have everything you need.” He must’ve seen the brief flicker of surprise pass through Rey’s face because he added, “What? Did you think I’d let you go without giving you proper supplies and rations?”

Rey remained shocked for a while before shaking her head and giving Poe a bemused smile, “For a while, yes,” she confessed. “But I guess I should also apologize. I think we were both a pair of banthas.”

“Probably.”

A silence came over them, though it lacked the undercurrent of tension that their past interactions had, and Rey for once didn’t feel like she was at the edge of an argument with Poe, which she was grateful for. 

After a few beats, Poe decided to break the silence. “So, how about we head up to the ship?”

* * *

“Are you sure that’s everything you need?”

Rey rolled her eyes, a small indulgent smile on her face as she replied. “Yes, Finn. I’m sure we won’t run out of the years’ worth of supplies you managed to stuff onto the ship.”

“I just want to make sure.” He responded, looking back at the gangplank of the Millennium Falcon and watching as some of the Resistance members disembarked the ship after leaving several portions of rations along with fuel and other supplies within two of the three holds inside of the ship. 

Fayth followed behind the crowd, splitting away from them to walk over to Finn and Rey to report. “We’re almost ready to go, I’ll help bring up the last few things.”

Rey nodded her head, “Sure, I’ll be up to begin pre-flight check.”

“Can I help?”

“Last time you were in the ship you looked ready to pass out for a while.” Rey lightly teased, causing the girl to huff out an irritated breath in response. “But fine.” Rey relented. “You can help me and learn some of the process.”

Fayth’s eyes lit up at that. “Okay! I’ll bring up the last box and wait for you inside!” she quickly said before turning and sprinting back towards where the other resistance members went for supplies, Rey watching her leave with a smile. 

“She’s very…enthusiastic, isn’t she?”

Rey turned around to face Finn again, “She’s spent her whole life on Tatooine. The war didn’t really touch them there. At least, not the fighting.”

Finn nodded, aware of what she meant with those words. While there were no actual scars of physical battle on Tatooine, the influence of the First Order only exacerbated the rampant crime present. His lips were in a thin line again, clearly mulling over whatever was on his mind.

“Finn, whatever it is you might as well say it now,” Rey prompted with a smile that she hoped was reassuring.

He held her gaze, his own showing the trouble he was having internally, before sighing. “no, it’s fine. I’ll wait until you come back.” He paused before adding, “because you will come back. Okay? Don’t forget you have friends here and don’t be afraid to reach out to us when you need help.”

Rey glanced away, blinking back the sting of tears before managing out a quiet, “Thank you, Finn.”

She felt his hands hover over her arms before taking hold to pull her into a hug, hearing him whisper well wishes and that she stay well and remember to  _ rest _ every once in a while and she let his caring words wash over her. It was a slightly soothing balm to her wounded soul, and for a moment she could imagine him saying those words while knowing the whole truth about her; about how her supposed selfless mission harbors selfish reasons. She imagines a world where Finn would understand her, know of Ben and support her. 

But no.

She couldn’t risk it. And so she placed on her most convincing smile and continued her facade. 

* * *

“Auto or Manual?”

Rey glanced over to Fayth whose hand hovered over the two buttons, “Manual to start, once we’re off-planet we’ll switch to autopilot.”

“Can’t we just trust it all to auto?”

Rey smiled. “Remind me to have you try a flight simulator.”

The girl huffed but pressed the manual button anyway, the whir of the engines flaring to life. “Prepare for takeoff.” Rey called out, pressing the last few buttons until she could feel the rumble of the ship's thrusters, the Falcon lurching slightly as it hovered above the landing pad before Rey diverted the engines to propel them upwards. Rey could feel Fayth’s gaze on her as she smoothly guided the ship away from Coruscant's atmosphere, the buildings and millions of trillions of lifeforms and ships quickly disappearing from their view. Once they were officially off-planet, the view nothing more than black skies and endless stars, Rey instructed Fayth to switch them over to auto-pilot—which she easily did— and unbuckled herself from the seat, exhaling a sigh of relief.

“That didn’t seem so hard.”

Rey let out a light laugh at the comment. “You pushed two buttons.”

“ _ Three _ , thank you,” Fayth corrected.

“Sorry, three out of how many now?”

“…Is this a test?”

“If it was, you would’ve already failed,” Rey commented, pushing to stand and placing her hands on her back, arching her body backwards in a stretch before straightening herself again and addressing Fayth. “Let’s head to the main hold.”

They both made the brief walk from the cockpit to the main corridor and straight to the main hold, immediately taking seats at the hologame table. 

“I still can’t believe I’m in the  _ Millennium Falcon _ ,” Fayth said with awe in her voice, her hands gently hovering over the hologame table as if afraid to actually touch it.

Rey smiled, remembering her own awe at realizing that the ‘garbage freighter’ she and Finn  _ borrowed _ from Unkar Plutt was actually the famed Falcon. “You’ve heard the stories then?”

“Are you kidding?” she breathed, “even the most stuck-up, half-witted, scruffy-looking nerf herder knows about Han Solo, Chewbacca, and the Millennium Falcon!” 

Rey’s eyebrows shot up at hearing the colorful language, never expecting Fayth to even utter a  _ kriff _ , much less be so… _ descriptive _ in her words. Fayth, meanwhile, seemed to realize the words that easily slipped out of her mouth and quickly clasped her hands over them, her cheeks reddening as she yelped out a covered, “sorry!” 

Rey simply stared at Fayth, watching her flustered state as she stammered out repeated apologies and she couldn’t help it, the slight giggle that escaped her throat. It started as a short burst but quickly increased in frequency until Rey found herself clutching her stomach in her laughter. Fayth watched her in confusion, possibly questioning Rey’s sanity—she probably did appear a  _ little _ crazy—but eventually lowered her hands back down onto her lap, a small, hesitant smile blooming across her face until she began to giggle alongside her. They shared this moment of calm amusement for a while, the sounds of laughter eventually giving way to quiet. Rey leaned back against the plush seating, crossing her arms over her chest and glancing over at Fayth, “No stranger to vulgar are you?”

“I spent…a lot of time in the black markets. Pa never knew, he just thought I spent an awful amount of time selling our wares or buying supplies.” Fayth shrugged. “You learn to pick up on things quickly to survive.”

Rey knew that sentiment well, recalling her life growing up on Jakku, having to learn and adapt to the harsh climate and even harsher residents. She quickly learned not to trust others, especially after she was betrayed by Devi and Struck, two other scavengers, who stole away the Ghtroc 690 freighter that she worked hard on to repair and sell to Unkar Plutt—sacrificing many portions of rations to hold on to scavenged parts for repairs—only for them to take it from her when she turned her back and leave the planet. But still, a smaller more selfish part of her brain reminded her, that while Rey learned and adapted—ultimately she was  _ alone _ during that time and the same could not be said for the girl. 

The bitter memories served to quickly sour Rey’s mood and it fed into her own self-loathing. Because it wasn’t the girls fault that Rey suffered as she did. Technically, it wasn’t anyone’s fault…

Besides Palpatine. 

But Rey refused to allow herself to stay within those thoughts, didn’t want to remain within the dark recesses of her mind, and so she forced those thoughts to the side—opting instead to offer Fayth another smile and reply, “I can understand the need to survive.”

They fell back into silence after that, Rey closing her eyes and doing her best to breathe slowly while she could feel the girl continue to fidget at her side. After a few seconds Rey cracked one eye open to glance at Fayth’s direction, “If you have something to say now would be as good a time as any to say it.”

Fayth startled at the sound of Rey’s voice, her eyes slightly wide and a small breath escaping her, before the fidgeting began again. Her gaze slid back down to her hands, teeth worrying at her lip before she managed to whisper out, “Who is Ben?”

Rey froze then, her body going rigid at the sound of his name falling from her lips. It felt so out of place, so  _ wrong _ to hear his name from someone other than Han, Leia, Luke, or herself. “Where did you hear that?” She bit out, sounding a lot angrier than she wanted to.

The fidgeting increased, “You kept…” A pause. “You kept calling his name in your sleep.”

She remained frozen, her body screaming that she do something, say anything, but not able to push any sound out past the growing lump in her throat. Her world felt unsteady, her body off-kilter and her field of vision shaking. Alarms blared in her ear and it took her a moment to realize that it wasn’t all in her head. “We’re being attacked!” She realized, jumping up and running back to the cockpit, quickly seating herself in and realizing that Fayth followed behind her frantically. “I need you to take charge of the laser turret!” She barks out, slipping on her comlink before taking the ship off autopilot and using the ships navigation computer to try and see how many hostiles were tailing them.

“I don’t know how to use that!” Fayth cried out in panic.

“Just go!”

Rey heard her make a hasty retreat, taking a moment to breath before glancing back down at the nav computer. She could see three blips highlighted and she could see them closing in. Maybe they could escape through hyperspeed but she wasn’t sure how they would response; besides the ship was currently shielded and to go into hyperspeed meant diverting precious energy from their shields towards the hyperdrive engines—potentially leaving them open and vulnerable to attacks should the unknown ships manage to follow them.

“Rey?” Fayth’s voice crackled slightly through the comlink. 

“Fayth.” Rey replied, her mind briefly realizing that this was the first time she actually voiced the girl’s name. “I need you to listen carefully. Strap yourself well into your seat, and take hold of the controls, wherever you direct your aim the chair will swivel in that direction. Tell me what you see.”

“Three black ships. They look odd, they are spheres with vertical wings.” 

_ TIE fighters _ , Rey realized with a start. “Okay, I want you to take aim towards them and fire the turrets, it’s the buttons right on top of the handle.”

She could hear Fayth’s panic filled breaths over the comlink and she tried her best to soothe her throughout the process—giving praise and calm instructions as best as she could without actually seeing. She both heard and felt the first few rounds of fire. “I missed!” Rey heard her exclaim. “Calm down,” Rey instructed. “Focus, and try to aim a little ahead of where they are flying, focus on damaging the wings.”

The other end of the link was quiet and Rey briefly wondered if maybe it would’ve been wiser to keep them on auto-pilot and man the turret herself instead but the sound of another fire followed by what sounded like an explosion reached her ears. Fayth squeaked over the comlink. “I think I hit it!” and Rey quickly took the opportunity to maneuver them so that they could be behind the remaining two. 

“Fire the one at the left!” Rey called out, her hand hovering above a button while she waited for Fayth to act. Seconds ticked and Rey could see the turret fire take aim towards the leftmost TIE fighter, managing to nick at the lower end of one of the wings. Taking advantage of both ships maneuvering to the side, possibly to turn around and position themselves back behind them, Rey took that opening and slammed at the button below her hand, the ship lurching forward into hyper speed and the atmosphere around them blurring. 

She let out a loud exhale at the same time as Fayth, and she heard shuffling sounds on the other side which meant that she was going to make her way back to the cockpit. Rey pulled the comlink off of her ear and set it aside, leaning her head against the headrest and closing her eyes to enjoy the brief respite and allowing relief to seep into her body.

The doors opened with a woosh and she distantly registered Fayth’s footsteps as she walked in and sat at the seat besides Rey quietly. Rey glanced over at her direction and paused, taking in her unseeing gaze and then noticing the slight trembling of her hands. “Hey.” Rey placed her hands on top of hers, noting the chill of them. “You did great.” 

“I…” Fayth paused, blinking rapidly to stave off the tears, “I’ve never killed anyone before,” she quietly whispered.

Rey paused at that, biting at the inside of her cheek as realization dawned on her that the girl was going through a state of shock at having witnessed, and actually remembering, the taking of a life by her own hand. She wasn’t sure what to say to soothe her distress and she only felt more and more uncomfortable as time passed and Fayth’s choked sobs began to escape. “Rest,” Rey urged, hoping that it will give both of them time to process the events and figure out how to move past it.

Fayth remained silent, aside from the occasional sobs and stood up, making a brisk exit from the cockpit and heading to where Rey hoped was the main hold so she could rest on the bunk there. Rey let out another exhale, this one sounding weary even to her own ears. The questions came forth again unbidden, about how she was supposed to train this girl, how she could possibly keep her in the light…

Rey buried her face in her hands, the exhaustion draining her quicker than she had expected but fighting against the need to sleep; because she needed to stay away for as long as she could to keep watch during their flight.

_ “Rise, Rey.” _

Rey sighed again, because  _ of course _ now would be the time for more unhelpful advice from another Jedi master. “Now is not a good time.” She said, her head still covered in her hands. “We had a pretty close call.”

_ “Define pretty close.” _

Rey looked up at that, offering what she could only hope was an unamused expression, “Close to death. Why are you even here?”

_ “You called me here.” _

She frowned. “I didn’t.”

_ “You did, or rather, your doubts did.” _

Rey looked off to the side, readily ignoring the piercing blue gaze of the Jedi knight before her, “What do you want, Master Adi Gallia?” She waved her hand around in a vague gesture. “Just…impart your knowledge and leave me be.”

_ “Not the attitude of a Jedi. Have times really changed so much?” _

“I’m not a Jedi,” Rey automatically replied.

_ “Yet you carry the force of all the Jedi with you. You are the last Jedi.” _

“And what good does that do me?” Rey bit out, annoyance overriding her better judgement. “I have no kriffing idea what to do with the girl. I don’t know who this new enemy is. I don’t know how I am supposed to carry this title and expectation that everyone has of me because I’m sure I’ll just disappoint them!”

_ “The Force will guide you. And you have those who believe in you to keep you focused in even your darkest hour.” _

Rey let out a humorless laugh at that, finally looking up again to see the dark-skinned Tholothian Jedi Master. “My list of friends is very small, if you haven’t noticed.”

Adi offered what Rey could only describe as a reassuring smile, her form wavering in the tell-tale sign that let her know that the Jedi Master was leaving. Before she left, Rey heard the echo of her last words ring out within the empty room,

_ "Better a few faithful supporters than a wealth of false friends." _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember to please give kudos/comments to show love <3 
> 
> My muse appreciates it!
> 
> And now for link sources!!
> 
> What is a [a Gorg](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Gorg)? [Kodari rice](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Kodari-rice)?
> 
> [The Quelli Sector (no link to Dathomir yet until we get there though.](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Quelli_sector)
> 
> [What does a parsec mean?](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Parsec)
> 
> [Kodari rice](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Kodari-rice)
> 
> [Refresher a.k.a the 'fresher](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Refresher/Legends)
> 
> [Gfersh isn't a very nice word :( ](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Gfersh)
> 
> [Reminder that Tatooine literally went untouched throughout the sequel trilogy until the end of TRoS](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Tatooine)
> 
> [Are SW flight simulators similar to our flight simulators? No? ...Oh, okay.](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Flight_simulator)
> 
> [Hologame table](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Hologame_table)
> 
> [The nerf herder line is a throwback to Leia if you didn't know :) ](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Nerf_herder)
> 
> References to [Devi](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Devi) and [Strunk](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Strunk) who took Rey's [Ghtroc 690 freighter](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/690_light_freighter) and escaped Jakku.
> 
> [Laser Turret. I imagine the Falcon's are still operational.](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Laser_turret)
> 
> [Comlink](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Comlink)
> 
> [Navigation Computer a.k.a the Nav computer](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Navigation_computer)
> 
> [TIE fighter referenced](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/TIE/sf_space_superiority_fighter)
> 
> [Jedi Master Adi Gallia](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Adi_Gallia) btw, some of the quotes can be found under the Legends tab

**Author's Note:**

> I just saw The Rise of Skywalker this morning and I have to be completely honest.
> 
> My feelings are so conflicted.  
> Without giving too much away it seemed like a whole lot of "damage control" being done in the wake of The Last Jedi. It left some questions unanswered and the ending was frankly such a let down for me.
> 
> Reylo was literally dangled in front of our eyes and then ripped away in the span of 20 seconds.
> 
> I am not happy, Disney and J.J Abrams :|
> 
> My shipper heart is currently in the denial stage of grief and, once I came home, I wrote this up on a whim. I'll be honest; I have no clear plot line or plan for this story. I can't guarantee that I'll be able to update this frequently or even weekly. 
> 
> But I will try my darnedest.
> 
> Because my Reylo trash heart demands proper closure.
> 
> So, if you are all interested in the story continuing, please please PLEASE let it be known in the comments. It'll help keep motivation up for me to keep writing and trying to chart a clear path for this story to go.


End file.
